A Story For The Ages: Part One: The Party Is Over
by Armina Qi Saxton
Summary: What exactly happened during the time between Halloween and Christmas 2004? Will Johnny ever see Gino again? *Upload of old story*
1. Prologue: The News

A Story For The Ages

**Part One: **_The Party Is Over_

**Written By:** _Armina Qi Saxton_

**Standard Disclaimer:** Don't own anything related to or similar to Gaia Online, this is a story made for fun.

**Author's Note:** _ I made this story during 2005 and really should have re-written it since then. I'm putting this story up for the sole purpose of keeping it up somewhere _safe_ until further notice. I'll have a bigger _Author's Note_ at the end of _Part Three_ since it contains a bit of a caution to the end of that part and all of_ Part Four._ Please read my bio for additional information. Enjoy!_

Prologue: _The News_

It was all over the Gaian news from the earliest known hour on November 1, 2004: Johnny K. Gambino's mansion was destroyed. No one except for those that were partying the night before knew exactly what happened and those who survived did not want to tell of the things that went on inside the mansion. At least, those that had not been turned into zombies did not want to tell; they were already having nightmares about the events that night, even if they were still awake. Some had to be taken underground, to the G-Corp facilities, for things that no one wanted to talk about.

Those that had not been turned into zombies and walked aimless for hours in the streets of Isle de Gambino, until they were found by others who did not seem so tormented by the events that had happened only hours before. They were eventually calmed and taken to waiting G-Corp personal, who gave them vials of some unknown liquid just in case there was any chances of these people becoming zombies themselves. It seemed like there was more then enough to give most people some, but it was not wasted on those that were too far advanced to be saved. The effects of the zombie bites were too severe in a little over a thousand cases; what happened to them remains a mystery to all but those who work in G-Corp.

The news spread even faster then it was being reported by the news, mostly steaming from the interviews from the Gaian Council that were already being conducted by either the news or the Gaian public. These people were the backbone of the Gaian world, keeping order and peace as best as they could to a growing population. Those that were upon the Council were keeping something from the rest of the population about this; the only one who actually gave any information to the public was Lanzer. He told countless news stations half-truths about the night of October 31st, but at least it was something other then what the rest were saying: "We are just investigating this as much as the News Anchors. There is nothing else to report other then what you hear on the news. Now, go home."

When it concerned the most powerful man on Gaia, that was what the Council said normally. Or, had been the most powerful man on Gaia prior to this night. The news was reporting all this: it was all over. There was nothing else of the mansion or the whereabouts of the man that had been so powerful yet so careless in his life. The man that had now disappeared from Gaian society. The man that many people now did not give a second though to.

The man that would be changed forever.

****

The first thing that he had done every morning before heading off to his Durem store, other then order his usual cup of coffee, was buy a paper at the local coffee shop. It was a tradition he long since had done, even before he had opened his own shop. But today he just stared at the front page as if he was expecting it to be different then the last time he blinked at it. He had felt numb, cold almost, to the headline, before his eyes drifted down to the picture of the person that he knew so well. The face that looked so surprised yet had almost a foreboding expression to it.

Edmund sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again. He stood there in front of the H. R. Weasly shop front, paper in one hand and coffee in the other, staring almost desperately at the front page. He had half of a mind to stand there for the rest of the day, not even bothering to open the doors to a half-frantic public. The other half wanted to turn around at that very moment and walk all the way to Isle de Gambino to see if it were true. To see if Johnny's mansion had really been blown up into pieces.

He had known Johnny Gambino for years, not only as a business partner but as a friend. Although he, Edmund, had not climbed up to the ranks of power like the other had, he still benefited from things that he could only dream of. Now that was over and, while still doing good in his own right, had to wonder if that was his fate as well: being the powerful person in the Gaian community, if not a powerful person, and going down instantly without a passing thought. Edmund shuddered at the thought of this, rolling up the newspaper before tucking it under his arm. There was no way he, or any of the others, could take Johnny's place as the powerhouse behind everything that went one. He just didn't have the drive to do so and he wasn't going to get any younger.

"Well? Are you just going to stand there, lost in space? Or are you going to tell me what's going on?" A voice demanded from behind him before Edmund could even put the right key in the door to unlock it. He turned around slightly, still trying to find the right key as he mumbled to himself. He glanced up to see Moira standing there, hands upon her hips and her lips pressed in a thin line.

"What do you mean, what's going on? Haven't you heard the news or picked up a paper?" Edmund asked wearily, eyeing the girl as he finally found the right key. He placed it into the keyhole to the front door, unlocking it beckoning Moira into the store. If she didn't know, at least he could tell her in privacy for the time being.

"I rarely even turn on the news much less pick up a newspaper that isn't worth the ink that's printed on it. Why do you think I come to you for things that goes on?" She asked, walking into the store with a slight yawn. Edmund rolled his eyes, locking the door behind him as he moved over to the counter. Moira watched him out of the corner of her eye, watching him move slowly and stiffly without word. There was something about him that was different, something that she had not noticed the last time she had seen him. "Okay, old man. what's going on? What's with the sulking?"

"Johnny's mansion blew up last night," Edmund said, sitting his untouched coffee cup onto the counter. He unrolled the paper, turned around, and held out the front page to Moira for her to see and read. She leaned forwards and read the words, her now wide eyes moving down to the picture upon it. "That's what's going on, Moira."

"Are you sure this is for real? I mean, Johnny has done some pretty wild publicity stunts in the past, even if this doesn't seem like something he would do," She said, looking up at Edmund as he lowered the paper. She crossed her arms over her chest, looking just as uncertain as her words were. "Not even this counts as the one for the last Gaian Olympics. I don't EVER want to be in another bikini ad with Ian again."

"It's no publicity stunt this time. I can honestly that this is something I saw coming to Johnny, as much as I hate to say it," Edmund said, turning the paper over so he could look at it again even though he had read it so many times before.

"Saw it coming to him? What the hell do you mean by that?" Moira asked, her voice going sour. He didn't even look up from the paper, seemingly ignoring the question for a moment or two before looking up again.

"What I mean is, is that Johnny had this coming to him because it is something that will make him think twice before doing something. There were things that he just didn't even care about, regardless of the outcome. I don't know what happened after the Olympics, but Johnny seemed to be a little bit darker afterwards." He shook his head, setting the paper next to his coffee. "I honestly can say he never cared about his action or perhaps even his own son. The point is, Moira, as much as it pains me to say this, is that the mansion blowing up will do Johnny some good. It will give him a chance to look around and see what he really lost. Maybe then he'll change."

"Of course he cared. He just didn't show it," Moira retorted, staring daggers at her fellow shopkeeper. Edmund gave her a raised eyebrow look as he leaned his back up against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. She bit her lower lip, looking down at the floor. She knew that even see couldn't believe what she said, even without Edmund telling her so. There had only been one time she had known Johnny, in which he ever showed even the slightest public affection for Gino, and that time had long since passed.

The two of them lapsed into silence, not knowing what to say to each other now. The news of the Gambino Mansion was still sinking into both of them, even after all the readings of the front pages Edmund had done. It was still a shock that it happened on Gaian soil, even if there were other strange things that had happened before. It would take them not long to feel the sting less and moving on with their lives. If only others could do the same.

****

On the other side of the Durem Reclamation Facility, past the West Barton Field, sat the town of Barton, many of it's inhabitants still waking up to the news of Johnny Gambino's mansion having been blown up. Those that knew about it either tossed the paper away or ignored the news stations, already having heard it more then twice since they had awoken. The initial shock didn't set into them as it did for those that knew the Gambino's, but it was just enough to shake their heads and wonder what was really going on.

There were a few that had gathered outside the Barton Boutique, a single newspaper being passed around from person to person, a few words exchanged between them. They couldn't believe that such a thing happened so closed to them and without any inkling that it was going to happen. Except for Ruby, Sasha, Peyo, and Meredith, none seemed to look like they had little to know sleep the night before.

"If there is one thing I can say about Johnny Gambino, it's that he can sure throw some wild parties," Meredith muttered, as she stifled a yawn. "And that party was one of those that just went in the way of the Gambino's."

"Get some sleep, Meredith. You four look like you haven't slept in days," Agatha said, looking up just a bit as she shared the paper with Logan. Up to that point, which had been at least and hour and a half, she had been quiet, often stealing glances up at the road that lead past Bass'ken Lake, towards the Port of Gambino, and to the island, where there were swarms of people trying to sort out more then what had actually happened.

"We can't get any sleep, Agatha. We've, like all that were on the island last night, have been booted off until further notice. I think it so that G-Corp, or even the Council, won't have any sight-seers clogging up their work," Ruby said instead, a protective arm around a nearly asleep Peyo. The child looked like he was about to fall asleep standing up, leaning up against the woman.

"There are other places to sleep, you know," Ian chirped up, wiggling his eyebrows. Meredith gave him a stern glare, but he ignored it.

"No thanks, Ian," She said coolly before turning to Agatha. "Where's Leon? You'd think he'd be running around here, making sure everyone is alright and trying to keep them clam. Other then Johnny, he would know more of what the Gaian Council does then the rest of us."

"I haven't seen him since early yesterday afternoon, when he said he was going to close the Guild office early to go to the party. Don't know anything after that." Agatha shrugged it off as if it was nothing. No more then a few seconds had passed when said those words did a figure walk through the stone archway that lead to Bass'ken Lake, moving towards the center of the town. All eyes looked up and turned towards this figure that limped towards them and holding onto a shoulder that looked almost out of place, even under the armor that the figure wore.

"Leon?" Sasha asked uncertainly as the figure stopped short of the small group that had gathered. A pair of eyes from underneath a helmet looked up, a forced smile coming upon his lips as he stared at them, looking like he had just been to hell and back several times. What looked like blood was on his usually shiny armor, what little hair could be seen from underneath his helmet was tufted and caked with what looked like dirt. His face looked worn and as though he had tried to wipe off whatever dirt was on his face off with just water from the lake. "What happened to you?"

"I'll give you three guesses as to what happened and the first two don't count," Leon grumbled sourly, his smile fading into a frown. "What do you think happened? I'm at Gambino's Mansion, enjoying myself for the first time in months, when the whole place becomes infested with zombies. I don't know where they came from, or why they were there, but those things were nasty. I nearly got bit by one of them and had to be examined by someone from G-Corp not long after the mansion got blown up. I don't know what that stuff was that they were giving people, but it sure as helped with the infection the damned zombies were giving people. I'm just glad that I didn't become one of the poor souls that couldn't be saved."

"Pour souls? You mean there are those that are still infected by the zombies?" Ruby asked, looking horrified. She then reached out and snatched the paper from Logan. She read the article fast, her eyes moving fast then they had done when she had read it the first time, before she looked back up at Leon. "The paper doesn't say a thing about anyone still infected. Why wouldn't that be in the paper if it is still an issue?"

"You think G-Corp wants any more attention then it does now, after it was pinned on them that they were the ones that let the zombies out in the first place?" Leon asked, his frown deepening. "I am sure that there are a handful of people that are still infected by the zombies. There are even some that can't be turned back into humans by the vial. From the little bit of conversation that I heard from several G-Corp lab techs while I was being checked out, there are some who's bodies are too ravages by the infection to even have the unknown liquid be tried on them. What they are doing with the remaining zombies and the bodies of the dead, I don't know. In fact, I don't think, and possibly even know, that there is enough for those who are infected and can be saved by the vial at this point."

"What are they doing with them, then? Are they doing it on the island?"

"Why would they want to do things with the zombies out where the public could see them? G-Corp took them somewhere, I am sure, underneath the island and away from prying eyes. They are just keeping the island off limits just in case."

"Do we have a problem on our hands with this?" Logan asked tensely. He looked worried about this, as did the others, their eyes turned solely upon Leon, who looked down at the ground for several minutes. He didn't say anything during this time, sighing as he placed both of his arms at his sides before looking back up.

"I don't know, Logan. I don't know. If there is one thing I can credit to G-Corp, it is containing something, no matter how big it is. I am sure that the Gaian Council can keep it under control as well."

"Yes, and keep it under wraps as much as possible," Meredith said, shaking her head at him. "We won't know anything now, that is for sure."

"You don't trust them, Meredith, do you? What did the Council ever do to you?" Leon said accusingly, eyeing her.

"It is not that I don't trust them, Leon, nor did they ever do anything to me. I do trust them, and I know they are doing the best job they can do with as little people as they have. It is just that they are poking their noses into something that doesn't concern them right now. G-Corp should be the one to handle it, since it is their mess to begin with."

Leon sighed, a half smile coming upon his lips. "I'm sorry. It's just that I've been stuck on the island for what like seems like days."

"I think some of us needs some sleep too," Ruby said, looking down at Peyo as she shook him awake. The boy yawned, opening his eyes as he looked at her tiredly. "We'll find places to stay until we can go back to the island."

All of them nodded, some more slowly then others, as a few last words were exchanged before the small group went their separate ways. Some went with others to stay until they had clearance back to the island while others went alone. But they knew what had happened the night before and that was something in which would stay fresh in their minds until something else came along.

**Until Next Time**


	2. Chapter 1: Lost Soul

A Story For The Ages

**Part One:** _The Party Is Over_

**Written By:** _Armina Qi Saxton_

**Standard Disclaimer:** _See Prologue_

Chapter One: _Lost Soul_

It was about mid-afternoon, or about around late lunch time, when he finally opened his eyes and found a slitting headache waiting for him. It pounded his head as though someone was stomping upon it and he felt like he should close his eyes to rid himself of it. Instead, he rose carefully, only to find another pain coursing up and down his spine. He winced, putting a hand upon his lower back; even that seemed hard to do, with his body stiff and every action of movement feeling like his muscles had been ripped from bone. He wouldn't have been surprised that he did, in fact, have several broken bones, if he was lucky enough to have that little bit.

He looked around at where he was, then shivered. He realized that he was sitting in the sand at a near-low tide with the water lapping against his feet. At first, he didn't bother getting up, just content on sitting where he was at the time. Maybe it was his aching body that didn't want him to stand up, or maybe it was the serenity of the day that made him feel as though he had all the time in the world to sit there without anything else to do. Whatever the reason he stayed on that spot, he knew he had to get up eventually, even if it hurt him even more.

Thinking about it was one thing, doing it was another. Had his body felt like it hadn't been shot through a cannon several times, he would have gotten up as quickly as he could without worry. As it were, his body felt too weak to even support his weight; every attempt to stand up caused him to stumble back onto the sandy beach. He wanted to just sit there until the pain in his body subsided, but he couldn't just sit there and let it overcome him. He HAD to get up, regardless of how he felt. He had done it before and he would do it again today.

He didn't even know how long it took him to finally be on his two legs, shaky as they were, and stay standing up without falling over. It seemed like it took hours and it probably did; if it did, then that was hours that he didn't have to get himself out of the water and onto dry land. He finally did it, even after all the failed attempts before. There was no reason to start trying to walk at the moment, not when he felt like his legs were about to give out on him. There was nothing he could lean on to help him steady himself or to walk across the small strip of beach; even if a small amount of strength went into his legs in the next few moments, they surely would give out on him in the street.

That was what he set his mind on, getting to the paved road and not falling down; if he could do that, then he could focus on something else to get to. With every baby step he took, he slowly made his way to the road, falling down several times in the process. He was glad that there was no one walking around on the island during this time or he would have been more embarrassed then he was at the moment. He did not want anyone to see him like this, not even those that had seen him in worse situations then this.

Which brought him to the realization that he WAS the only one the island; or seemed to be at the moment. There was no one there, not even a drunken soul with a hangover from late-night Halloween parties. He stood there upon the road that went around the Marketplace, staring at the empty stalls that sat just outside it without anyone there to sell their goods that they no longer wanted. There was no on buying things that people wanted to get rid of, no one making sure that there was no stealing involved or scamming, no nothing. It was quiet and still, as if the island had turned into a large graveyard that no one ever visited.

It took him a few moments for this to sink in and the flashes of memory of the night before to come back at him. He stood there, back straight and eyes wide, as he remembered fleeing just as something crashed into his home. His mouth dropped open when it hit him that the blast had catapulted him from one side of the island to the other, he landing somewhere between the ocean and the beach. It was in his amazement that he hadn't died from the impact of his body hitting whatever he had hit, if the blast hadn't killed him first. Even with his body as it was, the pain still there even after all the time it took him to get to this one spot, he was still amazed that he didn't suffer worse bodily harm then it did.

Then it hit him. His home was gone, his only place he ever got out of the prying eyes of the Gaian population and the Gaian Council. He shook his head, not wanting to believe that it was really gone until he saw it for himself. If he could get that far, that is. The Marketplace was big enough for a few hundred stalls that were crammed together with room to spare, but it wasn't big enough to take over the entire island. If he could push himself to get there, then he could see what had happened to his precious home.

The journey to his now long-since gone home began, if he could get there. He walked slowly, not because his legs were still trying to get used to walking again, but because he dreaded what he would fin on the other side of the Marketplace. His heart pounded, his body shook, and he put his eyes down upon the ground so that the wouldn't see the remains of his hard work all at once. He was still in shock over the fact that he was still alive, if that was what he called alive. He felt numb and dead, like everything had been stripped away from him. As if he wasn't really there.

He finally came to the other side of the Marketplace, where his home had stood before. Taking a deep breath as he stopped, he slowly turned to where his home should have been and looked up. What he saw nearly made him burst into tears. There was nothing there; no mansion, no beautiful structure, nothing that showed all the hard work in which he had put into having that home built. What used to be a beautiful mansion that had been lip up at night was gone; there was nothing behind the chain fence that stood seven feet high with barbed wire at the top and went all the way around the exterior of the grounds. There was even a yellow sign there, that read: No Entry Beyond This Point.

And, yet, there was a sign of life on the island. A long figure, standing there by the sign with head raised high and eyes staring straight ahead. There was no expression upon the face of the guard that stood there, keeping an eye out for those that did not need to see what remained of the once-proud mansion. He felt a twinge of hope in him, strength that he did not have in him before. He strode up quickly to the fence, eyes looking out into the charred rubble as he stood in front of the fence, looking slightly hopeful at this glimpse.

The guard didn't see it as such, head turning towards where this new stranger had come up to. He felt a hand pull him back front he fence, his head turning towards the guard in which had pulled him from what he was looking at. There was no emotions in the guards eyes, except for anger. Anger at seeing someone trying to take a glimpse at something they should not be at.

"How did you get here, sir? Don't you know that Isle de Gambino is off limits to the public until further notice?" The guard asked, not releasing the grip from this man's arm. Removing his own arm from this grip himself, he stared at the guard in a horrified manner.

"Since when as had the island been off limits?" He couldn't imaging someone trying to tell him to stay away from what was left of his home, the place that he had lived in for years.

"Since G-Corp declared it as off limits until midnight tonight. They want to make sure that there isn't any zombies left roaming the island. The Port of Gambino is safe now, since about an hour ago." The guard looked him up and down. "You weren't bitten, were you? "Cause, if you were, you need to stay here while I get someone from G-Corp. I'm sure that they will give you a vial, if thee is any left."

"Don't worry. I haven't been bitten by anyone, living or dead." He then frowned at the thought. Why would G-Corp be keeping the island closed off to the public? Didn't the explosion of the mansion kill all of the zombies, if he remembered correctly? "Is there anyway I could get in contact with a G-Corp tech that hasn't been turned into a zombie? There are a few things I'd to....."

"I'm sorry, sir, but all remaining G-Corp personal are no longer available to talk to the public. Not after what happened last night at the Halloween party. I even hear there are a few of them looking for Johnny K. Gambino right now, for reasons I can't tell you," The guard shaking his head. The man stared at him, his mouth hanging open in mere surprise. This guard standing before him, looking directly at him, did not even recognize him as the person he had just mentioned. The one that was denying him to even LOOK at his own home. He regained his composure, his blue eyes blazing with heat.

"I AM Johnny K. Gambino, you idiot," He spat out, just before he realized it was a mistake. If the guard had said that there were a few G-Corp techs looking for him, then what would make him not run to them? Instead, the guard just laughed in his face.

"That's funny. really is." The guard laughed for several more moments before his face turned semi-serious. "Okay, Mr. Gambino. You need to get yourself off of this island or I will FORCE you off of it. Understand?"

The man stared at the guard, shocked that he was being asked to leave the island until further notice or he would be forced off of it. That was unheard of, being forced off of the place in which he had founded and lived on for so long. If he had the choice at the moment, he would have had this guards' head mounted above a fireplace for this. But there was no longer a fireplace to hang anything upon as he turned on his heels and walked silently towards the port-side where he would stay until all were allowed back onto the island. He would go quietly this time and only because he had no strength or energy to stand there and argue with a guard that had looked down upon him as if he was nothing.

And it hurt.

****

It wasn't big but it would do for now, even for those that never had much of anything. It was just enough for Peyo and Ruby to be comfortable until the ban on Isle de Gambino was lifted and they could go back to their own home. If they went back that night at all. Neither one seemed too thrilled to go anytime soon, even after they could. It would be a slow transition back into their daily lives, a process that hopefully wouldn't take long.

Ian watched as Ruby and Peyo slept in his bed, sitting uncomfortably upon one of two chairs that was taken from the kitchen. It wasn't a big bed or one that he would want anyone else to have to sleep on unwillingly, but it was just enough for them. He smiled at them, in a way glad that he was able to help both, even if it was simple as allowing them use of his bed. That was about all that he could give them at the moment: a warm bed and a small meal. It was enough for them at least and they took it with thanks and many more on the way.

"Here you go, hon," A soft voice said from the doorway. Ian looked up as Agatha walked into the bedroom holding two cups of freshly made, steaming tea. He took one carefully as it was handed to him, as Agatha took the remaining chair next to him. "They'll be okay. It's not like we haven't had scares before, with everything that's been going on lately."

"But not like this," Ian said, taking a sip of his tea. "What do you think went wrong during the last few days?"

"I honestly don't know, Ian. Maybe it is just something that went wrong at the wrong time and at the wrong place." Agatha looked down into her cup, a light smile upon her lips. "I remember years ago when Johnny was at a younger age. Mind, he may not be very far younger then I, maybe a good ten years or so, but even then he did things that put more then one person's lives in danger. Then, he was truly sorry for the things that he did, regardless of what it was. He eventually let the power go to his head and he became more careless and less sorry for what he did."

"Are you saying we should forgive him for this? For everything?" Ian asked, raising his voice. Agatha glanced over towards the bed, almost certain that one of them would wake at the sound of Ian's rising voice. Only Peyo stirred in his sleep, perhaps a nightmare that he had before.

"Yes and no," She said slowly and softly. "No because this destroyed lives that most likely will never be rebuilt. Those that were affected won't find it in their hearts to forgive something like this so easily and quickly. Yes because I believe this isn't something Johnny would have willingly done to endanger as many lives as there was rumored to be at his mansion last night. He wouldn't have willingly put those lives at risk."

"Well, he did. Even if he took all the precautions, look at where it got him." If Ian could, he would have thrown the cup he held in his hands down onto the floor and walked out of the room at that very moment. Instead, his hands shook to a point where he thought that the cup would drop on it's own to the floor and break.

"I take it you don't like Johnny Gambino very much," Agatha said, bringing her cups to her lips. "Why?"

"He is an arrogant bastard, that is what he is. The power he possessed went to his head; even you said it yourself, Agatha. That is not normal for Gaians around here. they know when to back off at times. I don't think Johnny even spent a day walking around here without looking down upon everyone else, even his own son."

"So they do," Agatha mused, lowering her cup. She was slightly surprised at Ian's outburst, but with the events that happened the night before, she couldn't blame him, even if she did not like it. "I can't say I'd disagree with you when you say that he is arrogant, but are things about Johnny Gambino that you don't know, and I am not the one who is going to divulge his secrets either. Lets just say what I know about him, little else that there is to know, would make you rethink things and shudder."

"There isn't much else to rethink. I'm basing my thoughts on him on his actions in the last year and half and it isn't something I'd want to base them on, regardless of what he did in the past. If Johnny Gambino would ever turn a new leaf over, I'll hand the Boutique over to Rufus." Ian cracked a real smile for what seemed like months, causing Agatha to choke on her tea.

"I'm sure that if Johnny were to ever change, Rufus will be delighted to have his own store," She said once she regained her composure. She couldn't return the smile that Ian had, thinking upon what he had said. If she knew Johnny, this would give him more reason to change and become the person that he had once been so long ago.

****

A few miles from the Port of Gambino, sat a stretch of land that sat between the ocean-side of Gaia and Barton Town. It was almost like it was an untamed wild, except that there wasn't any wildlife that needed to be tamed, not unless someone counted the guppies swimming in the water, or overgrown trees that spilled down towards the ground. This was a safe haven for those hat did not want to go to the island or back into town. It was a serene place, one where those wishing to just get away would come for a afternoon or stay for a quick round of fishing.

This was Bass'ken Lake, a place where beginner fishers could come and hone their skills before they started off for the port or the Durem Reclamation Facility. Here they could catch the smallest fish that would make for a small meal or could be sold for gold or even exchanged for items. There were usually many that would visit this place on a daily basis, to lounge around before heading home for the evening. A place where people could fish their cares away.

But there was no one at the lake that day, not even the regular fishers who came so often that they were recognized instantly. Oh, there were a few that walked from Barton to the port, mostly gawkers that would stare off towards the island to try to get a glimpse of what was going on. Others went to try to get back onto the island, trying to get back to their home but denied every time. It was painfully clear that there wouldn't be anyone going home that day, not until the mandatory ban was lifted at midnight that very night. It was a precaution, G-Corp had said. Just to make sure that there wasn't any threats left.

Logan sighed and yawned, staring out of the front window of the fishing store just to watch the latest batch of the Gaian population walk from the port. He was half glad that there was no one fishing that day, partly because he had been awoken so early in the morning from all the commotion that was spilling out from the island. Sleep had not come back to him so easily once things had died down, not after the things that he had heard from those that were there. He shuddered at the thought of being caught up in that, turning away from the window and walking back behind the counter.

He was even more glad not to even be on of the many that was caught up in it. He could have gone to the Halloween party alright, if he didn't have other things upon his mind the night before. Sweeping the store, washing down the counters, taking a mental count of supplies that he would have to order soon. Things that he had to straighten around the shop after a horde of people had come in, some of them young trick-or-treaters that had to go to bed early in the evening. Logan had always had a fondness for Halloween, seeing the younger Gaians dressed up in costumers and their faces lighting up whenever they had had gotten candy. That was partly why he enjoyed the holiday, to see people dressed up in ways they would not dress up any other day. The other part was to eat any leftover candy that he had; he always found that gained several pounds just from this holiday alone.

But, this year, there was no joy to be found in eating what candy was leftover. In fact, the barely touched indulgence was still sitting in a yellow medium-sized bowl upon the glass counter that held the displays of fishing supplies that could not be found on the shelves. It sat next to a half-eaten bowl of cereal that Logan sate while watching passerby's walk by. That seemed to be the only thing that he could stomach at the moment, given what he had heard earlier. Not even trying to tell young Peyo that everything was fine was enough to calm his own nerves. He had heard the sounds of something coming from the island, but it wasn't loud enough to really get him worried. That was something he did not pay any heed to, until it started.

Logan had barely gotten behind the counter when the door to the shop flew open and a man stumbled in quickly, apparently either running away from something or he had tripped himself in. However he had entered, the man pushed the door closed just as quickly as he had come in, going upon his knees as he stared out of the glass door as if he was looking for someone or something out there. When it was apparent that there was no one there, he turned around and sat down with his back upon the door with a sigh. He was about to open his mouth to say something about people barging in when the stranger looked up at him and their eyes met. It was only when he realize who this man was did Logan's words catch in his throat.

The man sitting upon the ground, back upon the door, was none other then Johnny K. Gambino himself. His hair was messed up to a point where it looked like it was nearly one big tangle of hair, his face botched with caked sand and dirt, and his clothes were torn and ripped, as if something had cut the fabric into pieces. The man looked like something that would haven been pulled out of the bottom of the lake, as if he had been chased by something out there. Perhaps he had, judging by the way his eyes looked frantic and crazed to a point that Logan wished that there was someone else inside there with him at this moment other then this man.

"Are you just going to stand there or what?" Johnny snapped, glaring at Logan as he stumbled onto his feet. The other man didn't say anything, speechless at the fact that the most powerful man in Gaia was standing in front of him, looking as though he had just been dragged through the streets.

"You look like hell," Logan said after a few moments of silence as he walked from the counter and towards the man that had caused everything on the island to become chaotic. He felt the urge to kick him out of the store and lock the door, just to let the torn people from the island have a go at him. It was an urge that he had to suppress as Johnny stumbled forward, falling back down upon his knees. He still did not have his balance yet, although he had made it from the port and through the path to Bass'ken Lake with only a few stumbles. There were times in which he had to hide in the trees, so that he wouldn't face those that were going from Barton to the port and back again; somehow, the voices that belonged to the population did not seem very happy at the moment.

"I'm fine," He said through gritted teeth when Logan tried to help him up. The old man shrugged it off and turned back to the counter, now full intent on leaving him alone. If he didn't want help, he wouldn't get it. He sat down upon the ground Indian style, taking in several deep breaths as if his lungs could not produce enough oxygen for his body. It was only then that Logan saw what he had first thought was dirt before upon Johnny's brow, but now he could see it was actually blood. A line had gone down the side of his face and onto his dirty and torn clothing, long since dried from the coldness of the day. "Why is the island closed down? Why did it take me so long to get out of there?"

"Shouldn't you know?" Logan asked coldly, watching him once again. It was odd to see someone with so much riches to be torn and tattered beyond recognition. He, himself, did not recognize him at first, even with the few times that he had actually met him.

"The zombies, right?" Johnny said just as coldly, standing up once again upon wobbly legs. He stood there, as though he was testing his legs to make sure that they wouldn't fall from underneath him once again. When it seemed like they wouldn't weaken, he stepped forwards slowly, towards the counter so that he could have something to lean on upon at last. It took him ten minutes to reach the counter it should have taken him only ten seconds; once there, he lowered himself down to the glass below. At first, Logan didn't understand what he was doing at first; it was only when Johnny put a hand to his bleeding brow did he realize that he was looking at his reflection on the glass. A shocked expression came upon his face, his hand moving along the line of dried blood that went down his face and to the torn clothing that he wore. "I do look like hell."

"Aye, you do," Logan agreed, leaning against the counter with his arms lightly crossed over his chest and a smirk upon his lips. He did not want to show the amusement he got from this, but it was hard to keep it hidden from his face. Johnny pulled himself up, a scowl upon his face.

"Is there any place around here that I can take a shower at least? I need to get something else to wear and the dirt and salt water off of me. Is that too much to ask?"

"No, it's not. It's just that I don't know if there is any place except for Barton Town that has anything. I'm sure that there are a few people there might be willing to let you in." That was a lie right there and Logan wished that he hadn't as soon as he had said it. If course there was a place closer then Barton: his own home near Bass'ken Lake. But he didn't know if he was that willing to let Johnny inside his home. Would he destroy that as well?

"Might be willing? What is that supposed to mean?" He was looking defensive and angry at the same time, at the notion that he wouldn't be able to take at least a shower somewhere. Logan sighed, bowing his head down as he closed his eyes slightly.

"After last night, I don't think many people around here trust you much less let you into their home. After all, you did let a horde of zombies loose on the island, many of which bit innocent people. Countless many of those innocent people are quite possibly dead right now, if they weren't killed by that damned missile or able to be human again." Logan didn't give Johnny enough time to ask how he knew that as he pulled his copy of the newspaper from out under the candy bowl and slid it towards him. Johnny stared down at the picture that was blasting at him and remained silent, his hands balling into fists. Anger seemed to be on his side today, as he slammed a fist into the paper, what seemed like a growl coming from his throat. "That's what it says, Johnny. That's what people are saying. I can't even tell you how many people came by here, whispering about things that they should not be whispering about."

"Is there any place closer then Barton I can go so that I won't be noticed?" Johnny asked, looking up at Logan with blurry eyes. "That's all I want for a couple of days, to stay away from everything."

Logan hesitated for a moment, still willing to put this man out onto the street the way that he had come in. It was hard enough having to hold back anything that he really wanted to saw towards him, even if this man was looking as down as a man could get. He bit his lower lip, tempted to send him out into the cold air without anything but the rags that he wore. He, himself, had known what it was like to be out in the cold air without a place to go and with barely anything else; maybe that was why he didn't have the heart to kick him to the curb.

"Yes, there is. You can stay here for a couple of days, but no more," Logan said, beckoning him towards the back door of the shop. He knew he might regret it in the end, but the way that Johnny was looking it seemed like a half-good idea at the time.

Even if he looked like a lost soul that wanted to become even more lost.

**Until Next Time**


	3. Chapter 2: Mourning

A Story For The Ages

**Part One: **_The Party Is Over_

**Written By:** _Armina Qi Saxton_

**Standard Disclaimer:** _See Prologue_

Chapter Two: _Mourning_

Two days had passed since the incident on Isle de Gambino without much going on between then and the dawn of this day. Most of the clean-up had been completed the day after Halloween, when there was no one there to witness anything strange or unusual that would go on. Except for a few stragglers that had hidden themselves in what seemed like closed shops and homes, there was no one there that knew anything of what happened before. The only thing that remained of that night was the burnt-out shell of what was once the Gambino Mansion, now without the height chain fence that went around it. There were few that went to inspect the rubble, perhaps to find something to salvage from it and sell at the Marketplace. Others were just interested in what was left and nothing more.

There were few others that even remotely wanted to get near it, having seen enough of what was left of a lavish lifestyle gone bad. they stayed far away from it as possible, eyeing it only from a distance; even then they did not want to look at it. With the rubble came memories that were trying to be suppressed by those that could not pass it off as mere nightmares, ones of zombies and missiles and things that should have never happened. They kept their distance for the time being, until they could be sure that they were able to remember without shuddering inside and wondering if it would ever happen again.

Needless to say, the island was quiet for a day when most people would have been starting their Christmas shopping already and gearing up for Thanksgiving that was less then a month away. Even the shopkeepers kept their doors locked; there was no point in staying open if there was no one to sell things to. Oh, there were people that were looking into the windows and such, looking for any activity that was going on inside or to see if there was anyone there. They left defeated, glancing only at the rubble of a mansion before departing for the port and heading into Barton Town or even to Durem, where there were places open.

There was one, however, that was not bothering to look into the shops to see if there was anyone there nor trying the bank to see if it was open. No, this one was standing at where the doorway of the mansion would have stood, looking out into the piles of what now was considered trash instead of treasure. There was nothing there, not one piece of the hard work that it took to build the mansion from the ground up. The polished floor was gone, the carpeted staircase no more, the spacious ballroom destroyed---all gone in a flash. An instant that couldn't be taken back.

Johnny Gambino was that one that stood there, looking at what little he had left. It wasn't much compared to what he had before; everything that he could ever want and more, was gone. He didn't want to believe it, even when he was standing there two days prior in front of a fence that was long since gone, staring at his destroyed mansion. He was still in denial, even with it right in front of him. If he couldn't possibly believe it, then why should anyone else in the Gaian population believe it?

He smiled sadly, bowing his head and closing his eyes. He recounted the last two days he spent tucked away in a small cabin on Bass'ken Lake, where he did not even poke his head out a window. Logan had hardly spoken to him in the two days, only muttering a few words here and there, mostly about absurd things that Johnny didn't understand--or didn't want to, for that matter. He could see the anger in the old man's eyes, an anger that he wished would only go away. He possibly was grateful that he hadn't heard the things that were going around the towns and the population as much as Logan had, things that made Logan's anger seem so insignificant. Maybe, just maybe, he would hear it for himself one day.

Johnny left Logan without much word, only muttering that he would pay him back as soon as he could. He didn't know if the other had heard him or had even cared; as soon as he was out the door, it slammed shut and locked behind him and that was the last he heard from Logan that day. That was the farewell, a swift kick to the rear and a door in the face. Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to repay him in any sense, even if he did keep his mouth shut to where the now infamous Johnny K. Gambino was. At least that he was grateful for.

It wasn't hard weaving a track to the Port of Gambino and then to the isle. There weren't as many people out on the roads or on the docks, so few people could their say in before he walked away. If he did encounter people, he kept his eyes down and head low, as if that would keep the stares and glares from coming his way. They recognized him almost instantly, one or two bystanders actually pelting him with rocks. Rubbing the spots where the rocks had hit him---when there already was bruising---was the only thing that kept him lingering from the remains of his mansion.

"What a sight, isn't it?" A voice said from behind him. Johnny opened his eyes, his smile faltering just slightly as he raised his head. A single pair of footsteps came from behind him and stopped at his right side. He turned his head to the right to see Edmund standing there, hands in his coat pockets and eyes looking out into the rubble. He didn't know how long he had been standing there or if he had simply had just walked up; regardless, it was a friendly face nevertheless.

"Feh," Johnny said, turning his head sharply back forwards as he nodded to the rubble. "Not much of a sight, not like it was before. It was better when there was actually something to look at inside of charred rubble."

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Edmund said quietly, turning to face his friend. Johnny looked back over towards him, his face turning in what could be described as a cross between a serious and a sour expression. "You disappeared on us that night. We were wondering when you were going to turn up, if you were ever going to. I figured that you'd be here eventually, if you were still around these parts that is, or even alive. I wouldn't have been surprised if the blast had, indeed, killed you."

"I wouldn't have been surprised, either. I was somewhere else, regaining my thoughts in what you might call between life and death. I thought that I would just stay out of the public view for the time being." The look on Edmund's face told him that it seemed like he knew where Johnny had been for the past two days; it was as though all the shopkeepers on Gaian territory knew what was going on even before the rest of the population did. "I was even hit by rocks coming up this way. Lousy, good-for-nothing punks."

"You'll get more then a handful of pebbles thrown at you, Johnny, if you linger around here much longer. The Gaian Council has issued a memorial gathering here in a few hours, at sunset to be more precise, and there will be more then just a few passer-bys here," Edmund said, nodding to the rubble. "The Council saw it fitting to hold it here instead of at the port. I suggest you leave now before anyone else catches you here. You never know what they might do to you?"

"Why is that?" He asked, narrowing his eyes. "Isn't there any place that people aren't trying to force me out of? First Logan kicked me out after he helped me, now you."

"It is not that any of us are trying to force you out of here. Not even Logan would have the heart to force anyone out of his home, no matter what person had done. That's perhaps why no one else knew where you were until just this morning. The way Ruby can get things out of people is amazing." He sighed, trying to force down a chuckle. "It is that there are people who would hang, shoot, stab, and punch you to death in less then a minute given the chance to do so, even before you could say a word of forgiveness to them. They want your blood, Johnny, and they want it soon. if they see you here, it is like open fishing season. You are the worm on the hook and the bass are those that want you dead."

Johnny let up on his expression, lowering his eyes as he did. He knew that there were many Gaians that did not like him, perhaps because of his wealth or even because of his actions that had more then just a few ripples in the ocean. Then, he hadn't cared one bit, knowing full well that no one could harm him while he still had power. Now it was as though it was open season on him, as though he was just a punching bag just waiting to be hit. The rocks would be just the beginning of it; what else did the Gaian population have in store for him, once they found him in hiding?

"What about you?" He asked, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he raised his eyes. He found that he couldn't look his friend in the eye, not now.

"What about me?" Edmund asked. "If you are asking if I would turn my back and take part in the hunt for you, then no. Not fully, I can't. I've known you too long to turn away without at least helping you in some way, but I can't ignore what you have done. I doubt's anyone else can either."

"I don't ask anyone to ignore it, Edmund, nor do I ask the same from you. I know it happened. All I want is to be...." He stopped right there, unable to speak the last few words. He wanted to be left alone is what he wanted to say, wanted to mean it with every fiber in his body. The expressions on those Gaian's faces was enough for him to see the hatred in their eyes; it was as though he could see into their minds through their faces. If that was what only a couple of them though and could do to him, then what was stopping anyone else from doing the same thing, if not worse?

And it seemed like Edmund understood him, without the actual words being spoken. He smiled that understanding, nodding his head twice with the same understanding that was on his face. Deep down, Johnny knew, that there was something else lurking that he just couldn't see. Something else that was troubling him more then just what had happened several days before. He wasn't going to ask into it, not at this point. Maybe, down the line once everything had calmed down a bit, then he would inquire, but it was not the right time to do so.

"You know there will be people asking about you. They'll come to us for answers and whether or not they can be answered truthfully is up to the others. I'll try to keep any prying minds at bay as much as I can, but there is only so much I can do. You can't expect the others to be thinking along the same lines as me."

"I know I can't," He said, thankful at there was least one person who wouldn't go after him with a pitchfork and torch in his hands. He was even more grateful that someone would keep curious minds occupied for the time being, even if he were to crack down eventually. It would give him enough time to get away, until he knew it was safe to come back.

"Where are you going to go? There aren't many places to hide in and there are only so little places to stay." If he could read Edmund's expression at the moment, he would have seen a twinge of worry in his features. Although there wasn't much he could do for Johnny, and he still felt angry inside, at least he could know where he was going to be so that it would ease his mind. He wouldn't even say anything, as promised, to those that asked.

"I don't know, Edmund. I honestly don't know. I'll find someplace to hide for a little while, maybe north of the Reclaimation Facility, but I can't tell you if I don't know myself," Johnny said with a sigh. Edmund nodded, accepting the answer for the time being. He knew that this man had some sort of plan and was not about to tell, just in case there were any prying ears around.

"Take care of yourself, then. This world isn't the place you knew of before it happened. It is hostile, so be careful. You never know who you'll run into next," Edmund said with a brief smile. He turned around towards the port-side of the island, walking quickly towards the Marketplace. There was no telling when the two would see each other again or if they would ever; all that mattered was that things were now changed, for better or for worse.

****

Meredith stood not far from the bank's doors, arms crossed tightly over her chest and eyes staring outside with a scowl on her face. She had watched Edmund walk past these same doorways without so much as a glance towards them, perhaps going to see for himself if the paper was true or not. If he was, then she wondered why he had not done it sooner since it wouldn't be odd for someone to see the same thing he was going to see. If he wasn't then, he sure was a long ways away from Durem and it was a long walk back to there.

Not even ten minutes had passed, and she had checked the clock above the doorway just to make sure, and he was now walking back to the port, as if he had seen enough for one day. It wouldn't surprising if he had met someone there, perhaps to give a warning to that same someone that he passed by. Her scowl deepened at the thought, knowing how very well might be standing there at the rubble, alone and mourning something that shouldn't have been in those hands to begin with.

She still stood there, unmoving, a few moments later, just watching the long-since gone retreating back of Edmund that had disappeared into a boat that would take him back to the Port of Gambino. She wanted to go after him, to see what he was up to, to see if there was anything that he could tell her about what he had seen and what he had said. And, yet, she remained rooted to the spot where she stood, unable to even forcibly move her body out the doors and run after him for much-needed information. What caused her to stay put, she did not know, but it was something that she would have to understand later when there was more then one person that she could test wild and outlandish theories upon.

"I have half of a mind to go after that man and make him talk," She growled, her expression not easing up. "He has something hidden up his sleeve and that is what I want to know."

"Well, what would he know?" Sasha asked innocently enough, Meredith tapping her fingers upon her crossed arms. She had come into the bank not long before Edmund had come onto the island, looking more then just a little afraid at the fact that there was no one there other then the few wandering souls out and about and those that were behind the counters in the shops. Meredith didn't blame her; although the bank go less visitors then other places, it was enough to keep her mind on things that didn't need to be wandering about. They both had stood back and watched Edmund walk from where both knew he was coming from, wondering the same thing: had he gone to the mansion's rubble for a reason other then to just see it?

"Everything, Sasha. Everything. Edmund's almost like a mini version of Gambino himself, but with less power to abuse." Meredith turned around to face the other woman, her scowl not softening "He knows something about Johnny Gambino, and I'll be damned if he won't talk about it. Not even Ruby can get anything out of him and she is notorious for getting things out of people."

"I suppose that's what motherhood does to people," Sasha said wistfully, looking up at the ceiling. Perhaps it was because she could not stand the scowl that was coming her way, or it was because another reason altogether; either way, she couldn't look Meredith directly in the face. It was as though there was something in her eyes that would give something away, something that she could not tell. "I think Agatha might know something as well."

"Yes, that woman knows something, but what? It is not like she is the closest one to him." She turned back around to the doorway, watching the stillness of the island that was beyond the doors. It was odd to see little to no people outside during this time of year, regardless of the cold nip that was in the November air. The island's weather was always a few degrees colder then the inland during the fall and winter months, but the rest of the year was in beautiful splendor. Even those that did not like the warmth of the air or the coldness of the wind would come out just to mill around the Marketplace or walk around the small beach.

"Ask her, then, if you want to know. I doubt there will be anyone coming here in the next few hours, so now would be a good time," Sasha said with a nod as she lowered her gaze down from the ceiling. Meredith looked over her shoulder to give her a fleeting look and a frown that only deepened her scowl.

"No, Sasha. I can't ask what's going on inside one person's head to another. Besides, if I did ask, she wouldn't talk to me about it either, even if my intentions were just for information." It was a brilliant plan, really, to ask someone what was going on behind the scenes. Maybe then they could get a straight answer from that person, but it would be hard to accomplish. However, there were drawbacks to everything and those drawbacks outweighed her desire to know things. Besides, if Ruby couldn't persuade anyone to give information, then how could she, Meredith, do it?

****

Edmund straightened his overcoat as he stepped out of the boat, in which he had taken from the island to the port, glancing around the barely alive port. There were a few lurkers here and there, one couple with a pair of binoculars and taking turns gazing towards the island itself. Whether or not they were able to see far or what they were actually looking for, he didn't know nor care. What others did was not his concern and it would never be. He had his own things to worry about as he placed his hands into his coat pockets and strolled down towards Bass'ken Lake.

It was quiet around the port whereas it usually was bustling with those that were waiting to catch the next boat to the island. this was a little too quiet for his tastes, even on days that were too cold to venture out into. He was used to the crowds in Durem, where lunch-goers gathered around cafe's and donut shops for a quick meal before heading back to work or to wherever else they had to go. His version of quiet was when it was early morning and he could enjoy his coffee in peace without anyone else around him until he opened his store. Maybe it was just him, or the aftershock of what ha happened; whatever it was, he was going back to what he was used and quickly before he could be asked any questions.

It was this quietness that allowed Edmund's mind to wander on things of long ago, when he was a fair few years younger. He smiled to himself on those memories, mechanically taking his right hand out of his pocket and rubbing the scar just below his hairline. It took him a moment to realize that he was doing it, frowning as he stopped and lowered his hand down to eye-level. It was as though he could still see the blood that had once come from this very scar in which he had gotten so many years ago and this was the only visible sign of troubles of the past. It was a visible sign to the world, but there were other things that weren't so visible.

Edmund lowered his arm, closing his eyes tightly and shaking his head hard. No, he couldn't think of that at the moment, not now. It was all he could do to keep himself from reliving the moment in his mind over and over again, as though it was only yesterday. If this past Halloween would be remembered as the day countless lives were lost, then the day he and others had lived through would always be remembered as the day that Gaia lost it's innocence.

"He is up there, isn't he?" A familiar voice asked from in front of him. Edmund's eyes snapped open to see Leon standing not far from him, eyes staring past him as though he really wasn't there. He was not in his armor as he usually was, but rather in a pair of loose fitting jeans and a long winter's coat that came to his knees. Edmund continued to frown, wondering just how long Leon had been standing there. "If you say he was, or even still is, then that'll save me a trip up to the island to see. No, it's not for me---it's for Rina. That woman never seems to give me a break, even when she is not dragging me shopping with her on my days off---or whenever she gets a chance."

"Yes, he is still. And, no, I don't know where he is going to head next or what he is going to do, so don't ask," Edmund said coldly, putting his hand back into his pocket and started to walk down the path again, moving past Leon without even a look towards him. He did not want to talk to anyone and he kept his promise to Johnny that he would keep prying minds at bay as long as he could.

"I know what you were thinking of, Edmund," The guild keeper said softly, just loud enough for the other to hear him. Edmund stopped once again, silently cursing himself. He turned halfway around, head turned fully towards the back of Leon, who's shoulders slumped slightly. If he could see his face at the moment, there would have been a look of longing and pain mixed in with determination. "Scars on the outside fade with time, but those on the inside never do."

"You were a child then, Leon. Barely over the age of twelve, if I remember correctly. Rina was eight then, or just about to celebrate her eighth birthday. Heh, even then she followed you around like a love-struck puppy," Edmund said slowly, his frown loosening. It was times in which his own memories got in the way of other things that he had to remember, of those that suffered even greater things. He watched as one of Leon's hands moved up to his neck instinctively, as though he was trying to adjust something on his coat. "There was little you could have done. Even I couldn't do the things that people twice my age were doing to help those in need, so there was nothing a twelve-year old could do to stop things from happening."

"There was something I could have done. I was not a helpless child that day," Leon growled, spinning around quickly. Barely sticking out of his coat was a medium-sized chain , his hand clasped around the bottom of it as if it had broken. Edmund's brow scrunched up, walking the short distance between the two of them.

"Leon, remove your hand," He said softly, attempting to meet his gaze. Leon lowered his eyes instead, his hand lingering on the chain for a moment more before he opened his hand and let his arm fall to his side. Hanging neatly upon the silver chain was a platinum band with a small flower on one side of it and a onyx stone laying upon the middle of it. If Edmund could, he would have reached out and touched the ring to make sure it was real. "I remember that ring. Agatha had spent weeks perfecting it. Where did you get it from?"

Remaining quiet, Leon continued to stare down at the ground, his whole face changing. Instead of looking as though he was set on doing something, there were hints that tears would start to form at the bases of his eyes at any moment. His hands balled into fists, his body shaking not from the cold but from something else that only Edmund seemed to know of. He did not speak for several more moments until he raised his gaze up from the ground to finally meet the other's own eyes.

"My mother gave it to me, just before she died. Had I not been foolish then, she would still be here and it would still be on her finger. I won't make the same mistakes again." Tucking the chain and ring underneath his coat, his face hardening to stone, he walked past Edmund without another word, going as quietly as he had come, coming towards the lake. Edmund watched him go, his face softening and a small smile coming upon his lips. He could not blame Leon for things that he was blaming himself for; no child should have to see death right in front of them.

Especially when it was one of their own kin.

****

It seemed like the whole Gaian population had gathered from all around the Gaian Territory upon the island that had been deserted only hours earlier, from as far as the outskirts of Durem to within the safe walls of Barton Town. Hundreds had gathered around a small man-made platform that stood in front of what used to be Gambino's Mansion, where the Gaian Council was sitting quietly on chairs, watching people pour in from boats that came from the port. They had somber looks upon their faces, each looking like it was an expression that was forced upon their faces. The Gaian's that were gathering there did not seem to notice, as they came together and talked amongst themselves.

Some looked closely at the remains that laid before them, looking skeptical at first at this place, where once there had been something so magnificent that once stood there. They eyed it, wondering if they were being lead into a joke that went horribly wrong or Halloween had been extended a few extra days. Others were seeing this place for the first time since Halloween, not believing it until they actually saw it for themselves. That was when they muttered unheard things to themselves, nodding to things that only they could hear.

All were given golden candles upon arriving on the island, for when the sun would sheath itself in the water so that the candle-light memorial would begin. Some pocketed the candles, not intent on allowing them to be lit on this night but rather to use them for a later purpose. Guards roamed the beach, keeping a sharp eye on those that wandered upon the island and around the platform the Council sat upon. If anything went wrong, then they would be the first to know and the first to act. It did not get quiet, or as quiet as it could be, until the first candles started to be lit.

Sundown did not seem to slow enough for some, as the sun gently hit the lapping water. There was still enough light to go by to get home for those that did not want to stay or to do some last minute things before the memorial, but not a lot that it drowned out the flickering candles that were being lit. One by one, the gold candles were lit until the very last few were now burning dully. It gave a shadowed look across each Gaian's face that gathered there, giving them a more hallowed look. Even this night, it deepened the features of all who were present.

One by one, the members of the Gaian Council stood and spoke briefly, all remembering those that could not make it out on that Halloween night. No sooner did one sit down then another stood up to take that person's place; there were those in the crowd that did not realize just how big the Council was until it had gathered right in front of them. They had thought there were only a few altogether; now they saw that there was far more then what they had originally thought.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Lanzer stood up from his seat after the last Council member had spoken, a rather large roll of parchment in his right hand. He stood there without word, his eyes moving across the crowd that was now watching him, gripping the roll tightly in his hands. He had a worn look about him, as though he had not slept in days. Whether or not he had was not the point; what was that he was there, waiting for the last bits of conversation to stop so that he could speak.

"I thank you all for coming here. I know it must be hard for those that lost someone on Halloween, but at least it is a step into the direction of the future," He said hoarsely, his voice sounding just as tired and worn as his face did. "There is so much other things I would like to say right now, but please forgive me if I do not say the same speeches my fellow Gaian Council members have said. Instead, I have a list of those that left us to go to another place and to the soil beneath our feet."

He unrolled the parchment and let the bottom slide to the platform below him and began to read the names off of it. Some Gaian's cried upon hearing a single name as they were read, while others stood stoically by as each name was called, numb to everything that was going on around them. The rest stood silently by without much care, a few muttering to themselves once again or to others, partly glad that they knew none of the names on the list. It was a sign that they could at least forget some of what happened and move on with their lives without a passing thought on this moment.

When the very last name had been called, the sun had all but dipped it's last bit of golden rays upon Isle de Gambino. Lanzer muttered a few other words to the crowd before bowing his head and rolling up the parchment; the rest of the Gaian Council did the same, muttering the same words Lanzer had just spoken. Many in the crowd did not say anything, instead only bowing their own heads for a single moment. This moment would symbolize a passing day when all came together for only a few seconds of silence, to remember those who were gone from the same plain in which the remaining dwelled upon.

When the moment passes just as slowly as the sunset had, all raised their heads with somber faces and eyes ablaze. Perhaps it was the candles that they held in their hands or it was another fire inside them that burned; whatever it was, there were several that now had a resolve to find the man responsible for this. Others did not feel the same anger inside, instead only shrugging it off as they slowly moved away from where the Gambino Mansion once stood. There were even others that whispered quietly to themselves, about how they were going to find the same man, who others wanted dead, and help bring him back into power.

Whatever their future intentions were, it would not begin that night.

**Until Next Time**


	4. Chapter 3: Hiding

A Story For The Ages

**Part One:** _The Party Is Over_

**Written By:** _Armina Qi Saxton_

**Standard Disclaimer:** _See Prologue_

Chapter Three: _Hiding?_

_"It has been two weeks since the tragic events on Isle de Gambino and everything has turned back to normal, or as normal as it should be for islanders. some are reeling from the aftershock, while others have gone on with their lives. Even so, many Gaians have been on the lookout for Johnny K. Gambino, once the most powerful man in Gaia. He was last spotted on the island two weeks ago on the day of the memorial, but has disappeared since. If you have any sighting reports or theories as to where he is now, please contact the Gaia 9 news station. This is Cindy Donovinh reporting, for Gaia 9 News."_

Just that little bit was often quoted from the Gaia 9 news station on almost every radio station, other news broadcasting services, and local TV stations for miles around. By the end of the day, it seemed everyone had grown tired of hearing it and had shut off their TV's and radio's long before the evening editions. It was the same repetitive lines they had heard before again and gain and they were becoming sick of it. It was the same recap of the Halloween events on Gaia 9, as if that was still the stations biggest top story; surely there were other things in which needed to be covered instead of that.

But there was one thing in which all could agree upon: it was getting back to normal, or as normal as it could be. No one was looking over their shoulders any more, to see if there was anything hideous lurking behind them. No one was wondering if there was going to be anything else launched at them, to get rid of anything that might be still out there somewhere. No, life was about as normal as it could be, for the middle of November. There were still few who believed that there was still something out there, just waiting for them, but they were few and far between.

It felt good to get back to the normal days, as Ruby stepped out of the Hat Shop, stretching her arms to get the blood flowing in them. It was a short break from a long day, a day that did not seem to want to end. There had been bursts of people coming in and out since the store had opened that morning and it was hard to keep track of the little things that went on. Several times she had thought Peyo had been lost in the mad shuffle of people going to and fro, only to find him napping in the back room under a blanket with his teddy bear. Those had been the only relief's she had since the store opened, taking in the cold November air into her lungs.

The child had barely even come out of the back room, only to ask his mother for something to drink or to eat and to go to the bathroom. Whereas he normally would be sitting somewhere in the store, interacting with other people, playing with the children that came into the store, or even helping his mother, he was now shying away from everyone. Peyo had poked his head out once or twice, blushing slightly when someone looked over towards the doorway that lead to the back. It was strange behavior for the boy, but Ruby wasn't worried just yet.

She smiled at several people walking past, hoping they would walk right on over to the Gambino Outfitters and bother Sasha instead. All day she spent smiling a fake smile to people, wishing the day would end so she could take a hot bath in the tub. Strange as it was, it was busy on this day, even when the official Christmas shopping season had not even begun yet. She wondered if people were just getting their shopping done early on before the actual rush of the season, or if it was just that they were grouping together now on the island. Still, it keeps me busy and away from thinking about things, Ruby thought with a sigh. It's too nice of a day to stay inside, even for November. Maybe I'll close early and take Peyo to the beach for a little while.

"Staring off into space or taking a break? Either way, you need to get back to work," Someone said from somewhere inside a group of people that was moving from one place to another. Ruby blinked her eyes as a familiar figure pushed through the crowd and came towards her. She forced herself not to frown or to glare, as she clasped her hands in front of her.

"Hello, Moira. Haven't seen you around here for a few weeks now," She said sweetly, as Moira came to a stop in front of her. It wasn't known to many people that Ruby didn't care much for Moira, yet tolerated her for the most part. It wasn't the girl herself, but the attitude that she had with others. How Sasha could stand to have this girl as best friend was beyond her, but each their own. "What brings you up from Durem?"

"I'm taking Sasha back to Durem for lunch. There is a little coffee place on the corner by Edmund's shop that she'll like. It'll do her some good to get away from the island," Moira said with a quick nod, her eyes wandering over to the far edge of the Marketplace. "Edmund has an eye on the Depot until I get back, then he'll take a quick breather. It's been hectic today."

Ruby only nodded in slight agreement, lightly crossing her arms over her chest as she eyed her. She suspected that was just an excuse to come up to the island to catch a glimpse of the rubble left behind or to get something out of someone. It would get her up there at least; whether or not she was actually going to take Sasha to downtown Durem later was another matter entirely. If she was really doing something for her friend, and not on the island because she wanted to snoop around, then Ruby would make a mental forgiveness to Moira and think nothing of it. If it wasn't, then she would have to pull the girl all the way back to Durem and keep her there until her curiosity fizzled out.

"What's the real reason you came all the way to the island? You and Sasha both could have met in Barton and gotten something there. That's where Ian and I first met, in Barton Square." She genuinely smiled for the first time that day, remembering the day like it had only happened yesterday. Peyo hadn't even a passing thought, nor was anything that followed after that first meeting.

"I don't know what you are talking about, Ruby," Moira said, breaking her gaze that had gone past the Marketplace's stalls and perhaps beyond what Ruby was thinking she was looking at. She gave an innocent stare, puffing up her lips. "I am just here to take my best friend out to lunch. Is that so hard to understand?"

"Sure you are, Moira. You and I both know that you two usually meet in Barton for lunch, or even go to Bass'ken for a picnic." Ruby was now giving Moira the look and posture that all Gaian mothers had: eyes scrunched up and knowing, lips pressed into a thin line, arms crossed over chest, and body leaning forwards to indicate that there was something that needed to be said. "I can count the number of times that either you came up here to have lunch with Sasha or Sasha came to Durem on one hand."

"What makes you think that I am here for anything else's besides for lunch?" Moira looked offended that her plans were being questions, her eyes shifting away from Ruby. There was only three that were invulnerable to this look that Ruby possessed and all three were not exactly human. If Moira had that same ability, then she could tell a lot more stories to Ruby's face then anyone else on Gaian soil.

"Because I know for a fact that Sasha went to lunch already and has long since returned. If you don't believe me, then you can go to the Outfitters and see for yourself." She nodded towards the shop in which Sasha worked in. Moira looked doubtful, even though she did not raise her eyes to meet the woman's gaze. Eye contact was what she to have in order to make people talk.

"Well, then, I'm here to eat lunch by myself. It's always nice to get out of the city every so often," She said through nearly gritted teeth. It was a failed attempt to get herself more credit, even though it was stamped all over her face that it was a down-right lie. Ruby had to force down a laugh at the look that was on Moira's face, one that told her she did not want to be caught in this lie."

"Moira, look at me. Look at me, please," Ruby instructed calmly, her voice lower and her tone loving. It was the same thing that she used towards Peyo when he had done something wrong and it usually worked ninety-five percent of the time. This was how she managed to get things out of people, by using the same logic that she used for own child and applying it to those that were already long-since grown up.

And it was a mistake that people often made by trusting that motherly voice, as Moira looked up and met Ruby's eyes. Her body stiffened, her face contorting into a pout, and her hands going onto her hips. Ruby smiled in satisfaction, knowing that she caught another person into her snare. If this didn't work this time around, she would give up trying to get things out of people that most others would drive themselves insane to get. It was a gift, she had told Agatha one day a few years back, a gift that one had to be a mother to possess and a master to learn.

"Oh, alright. I'm not really here to eat lunch or to take Sasha with me back to Durem. When I heard that Edmund had come up here on the day of the memorial, I thought I'd come up here and see it for myself, but only when there were more people around. Happy now?" Moira said, sighing with defeat. She gave Ruby a glare, only to receive a smug look in return.

No, not exactly." ruby leaned forwards more. "You had a little more then two weeks to come up here to see it for yourself. I am sure you've talked at least once more in the past two weeks and there wasn't too many people here during the first couple of days. Why didn't you come then, when there was hardly anyone here?"

"I wasn't about to come up here all by myself, even if Leon himself said it was safe to come up here and Edmund was with me. It's not everyday that you hear things about zombies and people's homes being destroyed," Moira practically shouted, causing several people to look her way with odd looks. She turned around, putting her back upon Ruby as she glared towards the port. "Besides, I don't do well with very little people around. You never know what might pop up."

Ruby remained silent, taken aback by Moira's voice and the volume in which it had risen to. Never once she had heard it go to that level before, nor had she seen the look that was on her face before she had turned around. It was a look that she would probably never see again, a look that hinted there was something more to this girl then she originally thought. She bit her lower lip, looking away as though she could not even look at Moira's turned back.

"I'm sorry. I just...." She began before she was cut off.

"No, Ruby, don't apologize. I know you just wanted to know why I was up here when I should be back in Durem. I don't know half of the reason as to why I am here. I guess because there is something Edmund knows and is not telling." Moira paused at a passing though then smiled wickedly. She turned back around, looking directly at Ruby, who looked right back at her. There was a gleam in Moira's eyes, one that told her that there was an idea forming in her mind and those ideas were often crazed and outlandish. "Maybe you could persuade him to talk. I mean, if you can get Logan to talk about things, then certainly you can get Edmund to talk, right?"

"Moira, it isn't that simple to get things out of those that don't want to talk about it. Why do you want to know?" Ruby eyed her suspiciously. There was, more often then not, a reason for people to be asking about things such as this and it didn't seem fitting that Moira, of all people, wouldn't know.

"Because, Edmund came back from here that day like....like something had happened. Something that I just can't explain." She shook her head. "I've never seen him look like the next question someone asks him would be his last or that he was so scared of everyone else finding out what he knows. And I believe he is the only who knows where Johnny is hiding, if Logan doesn't know. After all, he was hiding at the lake for a couple of days."

"Hiding?" Ruby asked, surprised. She blinked several times, trying to hide that surprise but Moira didn't seem to take heed of it. She knew that Johnny wasn't around here, perhaps dead from the blast that tore into his mansion. That was one rumor she knew wasn't true when she cornered Logan two weeks ago, asking if he had any visitors since Halloween night and got a response that she hadn't expected. It was, however, odd to hear that the one who once proclaimed to be the richest man in Gaia was hiding. "I don't understand. Johnny Gambino, hiding? I'd think that he would be keeping a low profile around the Gaian Territories for a while, but not strictly keeping to the shadows without anyone seeing him. I would think he would try to be trying to get his image untarnished."

"It is odd, isn't it? You'd think he'd be going around, trying to, at least, explain a few things. He owes at least that to the Gaian Population."

"Yes, he does," Ruby echoed, looking as though she had just lost something and was trying to place where she had least seen it. Her mind wandered away from everything that went around her, fidgeting with the strings to her bonnet. That was a sign that she was thinking, too deep in her own world that she ignored Moira; even if she had spoken, she wouldn't have picked up the words. There was something that she had to ask someone else, before it chewed her mind apart.

"Ruby, where are you going?" Moira explained when Ruby walked quickly past her, as she turned around to watch the other woman go quickly to the port-side of the island.

"Just watch the store for a few moments, Moira. I'll be back," She shouted over her shoulder as she started to walk even quicker then she had before.

"WHAT ABOUT PEYO?" Moira screamed over the now very talkative crowd that was starting to gather behind her with surprised and confused expressions on their faces. Some even expressed that same surprise that Ruby would run off as quickly as she had, without even bothering to close down the Hat Store or to take her son with her. Moira stared after her, her mouth hanging in her own surprise before closing it and sighing. Turning back around, she was met with some very wide-eyed stares that were wondering the same thing. "Alright, all of you. Move along, there's nothing to see here. The Hat Shop is closed for the next fifteen, twenty minutes, that's all. Let's go, come on."

She felt like she was herding a flock of sheep away, as she waves her hands in front of her to show that she wanted a clear path to the doorway to the shop. A few muttered to themselves about this but complied anyways, throwing her several confused looks and possibly a few glares. Moira sighed and shook her head as she pushed the door open to the store and walked in, only speculating on what Ruby was going after.

****

It was like a bad dream, really, that could not be explained in full or even a way to wake up from it. It was as though there was no escape from a maze of dancing images that played on shafts of light and dark. Images of things that had passed in the flow of time, of things that were happening all around, and of things that the future still held. It was not consistent with what little memories there were, things forming and fading as quickly as a passing moment. It was all but a wishful dream to those that could not understand.

And this dream played silently on his mind, in and out of consciousness. He did not recall how many times he had fallen in and out of the void that kept him stumbling around the outskirts of the known Gaian borders. He did not know where he was going or why he was heading in any particular direction. all he knew was that he had to stay away from the wandering eyes that would walk the paths that went from one town to another, keeping his distance. Very few even looked at him as a passing beggar from neighboring places, a beggar that did not choose to be this way.

If they looked more closely, they would have seen a young boy staring at them, wanting to ask where he was and how he managed to get there. That is, if the stayed conscious long enough to look up at anyone with his large, round, and blank eyes. Every time he opened his mouth to call someone, he would fall back into that unknown void and tumble into the grassy and cold land below. He was often hidden well enough that no one ever saw much of him at any given moment; the few that did, had run straight into stores and homes, crying out that they found someone laying dead-like on the side of the path. However, as soon as another set of eyes came to inspect, the body had risen from the dead and had wandered away into another part of the land.

It was for the best, at this point, in keeping himself hidden away from prying eyes. There was no use in trying to remember things that did not need to be remembered or trying to find things that need not be found. At least, for now.

****

Ruby did not know why exactly this could not wait until the next morning when there were fewer people roaming about, looking after her and wondering why she was not back upon the island or had Peyo with her. Something Moira had said about Edmund knowing Johnny's whereabouts triggered something inside of her mind, something that she had to ask one of two people about. If she didn't, the feeling of guilt would consume her and she wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything until she asked. When she did, this urge would subside for the time being.

She walked quickly from the Port of Gambino where a small boat had taken her from the island to the port, only a few people stopping her on her way to Bass'ken Lake. They wanted to know where she was going, if the store was closed, and where Peyo was. She waved them off, not answering the questions and muttering a few apologies to people with small promises to answer questions at another time. At the moment, she was on one track and that track could not be derailed.

Passing a few people with buckets and fishing poles that were going to the port, Ruby slowed down some as soon as the lake came into sight. Even she was surprised at how fast she managed to get to this spot; she ignored the aching pains in her legs as she set her sight upon a long figure appearing out of the cabin that set upon the lake. She frowned deeply as she headed towards the cabin, not willing enough that day to take the journey all the way to Durem to talk to Edmund; there was someone closer that she could pry a little bit more information out of before quickly heading back to the island.

It was as though she became a hawk and had her sights on her prey, as she swooped down from her perch and landed almost in front of the only other person she knew who could possibly answer her questions Logan blinked his eyes as he stopped walking along the outskirts of the lake, his own bucket and rod in his ands and eyes set right on Ruby's small but imposing form coming towards him. He was clearly surprised when she stopped in front of him, arms crossing over her chest and her eyes narrowing.

"If you are going to ask me if I know anything else, you might as well try talking to someone on the Council. I don't know any more then you do," Logan said automatically, as though he knew what she was going to say.

"You know something. After all, Johnny did stay in your home for twos days. Where is he? Where did he go? Has he come back since then?" Ruby asked, firing off a few other jumbled questions that he couldn't understand. She asked these questions fast and under two minutes, her listener's mouth opening slightly at the pace in which she was talking. His response to it was a blank stare and a soft chuckle, as he lowered the bucket to the ground and leaned slightly on the rod that he held in his other hand. Ruby took in a deep breath from her rapid talking, hoping that at least a handful of her quick questions could be answered.

"If I knew where he was, you wouldn't be the first to know nor would I. It seems like information reaches here last, although it took you two days to finally figure out what he was here," He said with a slight shake of his head. "Where he went, I don't know and don't care for that matter. The best person who would know would be Edmund, and I haven't seen him in a week, maybe more. I don't leave the lake that often and those that do come here are the random fishers you see around the lake. As for Johnny coming back, well....that's something different."

Logan paused, as if listening for something, It only made Ruby want to know what he was going to say next even more, although she knew that he was trying to hear for those same random fishers to be listening on a conversation that they shouldn't be listening on. They figured that if they didn't hear it first, they could just as easily listen onto a conversation from one of them. It happened on more then one occasion, when information that was half-true got out and more rumors started then actual truths.

"And?" Ruby asked, her eyes going wide innocently. Logan stared at her, an eyebrow raised.

"I am not one of those people who are constantly asking where he is every day nor throwing wild theories into the wind. If he comes back, he comes back. It doesn't really matter, as long as it doesn't bother me much. If that is what you came all the way from the island for, then I am sorry you wasted your time. You probably would have been better off asking someone in Durem than me."

He picked up the bucket, smiling and nodding once to Ruby before starting to walk away. He did not get very far, perhaps about a pace and a half away, before she latched onto his arm just as quickly as he had asked him questions that he did not understand well enough to answer. Logan looked down at her sideways, tempted to push her away so that he could join the rest of those that dotted the shores of the lake, but there was something in her eyes that made that though disappear completely. It was an almost said, longing look, as though there was something more to her visit then a wasted inquiry to where a single man's whereabouts were.

"Ruby, what is it? What is it that you want to know? I've told you before that I don't know anything else and you are better off asking someone from the Council about, or even Edmund. Whoever you run into first," He said, nodding towards the walls of Barton Town, where the heart of the Council lay. He didn't mean to sound too cold or rude towards her, but he was tired of being asked things that he did not know about himself. Things that he did not wish to concern himself with.

"Did....did you see where Gino went off to? I've heard that he was last seen here, during the Olympics, but they were only rumors." There was a pleading tone to her voice, a pleading that he knew only a mother could have. His expression softened just a bit, only because this was one thing that he could at least answer somewhat truthfully.

"The last time I saw him, he was trying to get himself out of the lake. How he got there, I don't know. I only saw him for a moment before he stumbled off somewhere, I believe in the direction of Aekea. I can't really be sure if he went that way or back towards Durem. I didn't get a good look as to where he actually went, just that it was unusual that he didn't at least try to finish the race to the island. There was something wrong with him, as though he was intentionally trying to run in the opposite direction." Logan shrugged as Ruby let go of his arm. "That's all I can remember. The Olympics were a couple of months back and my memory isn't what it used to be. Sorry I can't be more help to you. I know mothers worry, even with children who aren't theirs."

"It's not so much that I worry about him---maybe it is a little bit---but Gino had been acting strange even before the Olympics. It was as though he was planning on leaving, just to see or hear his father's reaction to him disappearing. If it had anything to do with Johnny, then...." Her voice trailed off, leaving her train of thought hanging. Neither one had to have her finish her sentence to understand fully the message she was trying to convey. "Thank you, Logan. I am sorry that I bothered you with a mother's worry."

"A mother's worry is never a bother," Logan said with a smile before turning his head back around and moving towards the others that were fishing along Bass'ken Lake's shore. Ruby stood there for a moment, thinking over what Logan had just said. In the direction of Aekea or Durem. That was where he had thought that Gino had gone to; that, or back towards Durem. But why towards either place, when there were other places that he could stay in without anyone saying a word to Johnny? Aekea was a place out of the way and not on the route in which the Olympics had run and Durem was on the other side of the Gaian Territory, both about the same distance away from the island. Maybe it was an attempt to get far away from the island as possible.

She sighed, shaking her head as she started back towards the port. She knew that Logan was right: the Council knew something. If Johnny Gambino was hiding, they would know about it and where exactly he was. And only they could tell her, even if she had to pry it out of every one of them by force.

**Until Next Time**


	5. Chapter 4: Watching From The Shadows

A Story For the Ages

**Part One:** _The Party Is Over_

**Written By:** _Armina Qi Saxton_

**Standard Disclaimer:** _See Prologue_

Chapter Four: _Watching From The Shadows_

It was early morning on Thanksgiving, a day when all shops were closed and everyone was thinking about the food they would consume in the wee hours of the night. It was one of the three days out of the year that no one cared what they ate, Halloween and Christmas being the other two days in which were food-filled and craving-free. A day when family gathered around and caught up on gossip that they missed out during the rest of the year. If there was anything left to say around the dinner table that night, then it would be resumed on Christmas, where they would gather once again and continue with their conversations over presents and pumpkin pie.

There were few that would enjoy this day as a whole, those certain few seeing Thanksgiving as a waste of a holiday when there were so many other types of holidays that would be used. It was a waste of a day in their eyes, a day that would have been better off spent doing something more worthwhile then to spend time with a family that they did not care for. Even so, they went along with Thanksgiving as they had in the years before, quietly cursing the day that they would never enjoy for the rest of their natural lives.

But the hours just after sunrise, perhaps a little before seven, there was something stirring outside other then the early morning breeze. Something that moved along the shadows that hung from the sun, latched onto the ground below, and moved slowly towards wherever it was going to be heading to. It was as though the shadows themselves were moving, hiding from the awakening sun that came form it's darkened bed. These shadows moved silently towards a home that they had left so long ago, a home that they had not seen in years.

And these shadows moved from the path that lead from the north-end of Durem's Reclaimation Facility, only pausing to climb up it's steps and stare into the murky waters below, as if there was something in there that was amiss. How anything could possibly survive in it, they did not know nor did they care, moving away from the Reclaimation Facility and towards Durem without another moments pauses, at least until they were in the safety of the city. That was where they were going and that was where they were going to stay until they started the first phase of their plan.

They now went through one of the entrances of Durem, their shadowy cloaks swirling at their ankles. They did not stop there, moving past the closed shops and towards the one of the only places that go no attention in the city: a large mansion that rose almost as tall as the other buildings around it. It was only then that the twin shadows stopped, their heads craning up towards the spires of the mansion to look at it fully. They bore twin smiles on their lips, a sign that there was something else going on instead of being glad in seeing their childhood home.

"There it is, at long last. Our home," One said, removing the hood from her head and allowing it to drop to her shoulders. This revealed shoulder-length blonde hair and features so cold that it would make even Jack Frost himself shiver from this cold. The other, however, frowned at this action, as both moved their eyes and heads back down.

"Yes, home. A home that should have been ours from the start," The second said, her voice just as cold as the face of the other. She turned around and placed her hands upon her hips, her eyes moving along the barely awake city that should have been awake hours before. "It has changed since the last time were here in Durem. There isn't so much as single ounce of familiarity in this place."

It's been a good ten years since we left, remember? Places like Durem won't stop changing just because we weren't here to see those changes happening." The first woman sighed, walking up to the mansion steps, behind over to touch them with her fingertips. "So worn yet so warm."

"Warm, nothing. It's stone and it's supposed to be cold. I rather have it that way," The second said, her eyes narrowing at the empty road that lay in front of her. The other brought her back straight, looking over to her nearly identical companion.

"Coldness makes things forget. I wonder if anyone here remembers that," She said, walking to one side of the woman that sounded as though she did not want to be there.

"They had better damn well have remembered. We left an impression on Gaia that no one should have forgotten." The second smiled, the wicked grin illuminating her face. "Come on. We've got to collect the key to unlock our fortunes. That is the first step in getting back what is rightfully ours."

They would unlock more then just their fortunes in the months ahead, the two becoming one with the shadows once again. This time, however, there would more lives that would be turned upside down and, for some of them, it would not be the first time.

****

It was not the morning light that woke him up nor was it the cat that slept calmly upon the pillow, just above his head. It was something else entirely that made him sit up in bed as though something was rumbling past his doorway, sweat beads soaking his forehead and eyes wide open. No, a nightmare had awoken Ian up from a sleep that was troubled from the very moment that he had first laid his head down. A sleep that did not come as quickly as it should have come.

Ian's quick moments from sitting up quickly to throwing the covers off of himself and swinging his legs over to the side of the bed made Rufus look up from his own sleep, tired eyes awakening to a new morning. The cat did not say anything, whereas a few words would have been exchanged between owner and animal, but he just stared at the man that shivered at a passing thought. Whatever was bothering him, the question that would be asked could be answered when it was not so early in the morning.

"Damn it," Ian swore, moving a hand along his wet brow as he glanced up at the small dream catcher that Peyo had made him for his birthday a couple of months ago. The object hung neatly above his bed on a nail, high enough from the bed itself so that Rufus wouldn't knock it down with his paws but low enough so that Ian could take it down if need be. It had worked for him up to this point and now it seemed as though it was useless. Still, it made him smile at the effort the boy had put into making something that would ensure that Ian's dreams would always be peaceful.

Still, the nightmare that he had awoken from was so real that he could almost still taste the burning ash inside of his mouth. It had all started with him walking with Ruby upon the sandy beaches of Isle de Gambino, Peyo picking up seashells not too far in front of them. It was a dream that he had every so often, which put a smile upon his and perhaps just a little bit more, but this time it ended differently then the other dreams that he had. Everything had come crashing down: the bank, the shops, even the mansion that had been destroyed almost a month ago was tumbling once again.

Ian swore he could still hear Ruby screaming at Peyo to get out of the way of falling bricks and stone, but it was too late. Her son was covered in rubble that had come from the air, having no chance to react or to be pulled to safety. where he once stood, collecting seashells, there was nothing but a pile of debris. Ruby had fallen to her knees, clinging to Ian's pants in sheer horror at the sight; he would console, as he was still in shock that everything had come crashing down like that, with no reason whatsoever for it to fall.

It wasn't until the dust had started to clear when they had started to come from the ashes. They were human, yet not so human; they walked stiffly and slowly, moving side to side as though they were drunk. It was a group of them, zombies from the looks of it, and they were coming straight for himself and Ruby. A low cackle came from across the ocean, female sounding, as the air swirled around him. There, coming towards him and Ruby, were the zombie versions of all of his friends and fellow shopkeepers, sunken dead eyes and hallow decayed faces. Even Johnny and Gino Gambino were zombies, drool coming from their mouths as they silently mouthed words that only they understood.

Ian desperately tried to get away from the advancing group but was held down by something clinging to him. It was only then that he realized that Ruby was holding him in place, his head moving down towards her to only see her gray face and paled eyes looking up at him. A hungry smiled played on her crackled lips, as she sunk her fingernails deep into his leg. He distinctively remembered screaming out in pain, as the group descend upon him and her into darkness, the same female cackling he heard before laughing at him in the darkness. That was when he awoke in a pool of sweat and cat hair, only coming back into reality when he saw that he was not upon the island but in his own home in Barton. That was the only relief that he got from the dream, waking to find that he was not about to become a zombie horde's next meal.

He ran a hand through his hair, moving his eyes to the clock that sat on the dresser on the other side of the room. It was nearly seven-thirty in the morning, still too early to start getting ready for the day but late enough for a long breakfast. A soft nudge from Rufus upon his right side indicated that the cat was thinking of the same thing, as Ian reached over and scratched him behind the ears. A purr came from Rufus, content on having some attention brought upon him.

"I suppose you want breakfast as well," Ian said, when Rufus sat upon his lap and looked up at him with round, wide eyes. He did not have to say anything other then a meow and a jump down onto the ground where he stretched and slinked out of the room. His owner shook his head, standing up with his own stretching as he made his way to the same doorway that Rufus had walked out of. Pausing there for a moment, he considered turning right around and attempting to fall back asleep, perhaps to finish the nightmare that he had awoken from.

The idea went out of his head the moment he heard Rufus's loud meowing coming from the living room, a chuckle coming from his lips as he made his way into the rest of his home. Maybe the day wouldn't be as bad as the nightmare that he had awoken from.

****

The sounds of the TV filled the medium-sized bedroom, low enough for it not to filter into any other room outside the bedroom area but loud enough for the person in the master bathroom to hear. The doorway between the bedroom and bathroom sat slightly ajar, the sound of running water being shut off was barely hard from under the low noise of the TV. The same someone from inside the bathroom, whom was listening to the low mutter of the TV, opened the door the rest of the way and walked into the bedroom wearing only a pair of brown sweat pants. Anyone who usually would see this person out and about, would be shocked at how little he was wearing.

Edmund walked around the end of the bed, not even looking up at the TV that played the same news stories that had been showing the night before. After all, it was early Thanksgiving and the real news wouldn't be on until noon, when the parades would be broadcasted from outside the Gaian Territories. It would be something for the background as he sat upon his bed and picked up the black laptop that was sitting near the top of the bed. It was already turned on and plugged into the wall, ready for him to check on more then jus the rumors that had just recently come up. He found it was easier to follow these same rumors online then to wait for the news to broadcast them.

There wasn't any particular rumor he was looking for or anything he hadn't heard several times over that the rest of Gaia had heard. In fact, Edmund hardly ever found anything worth reading, other then for his own amusement and to ease more then just Moira's and Vanessa's minds. It gave him little pleasure in reading some of the wild theories that he found on many online sites, half of them not even close to the truth. The rest were so close, it send chill's down his spine every time; it was as though someone was watching them from somewhere and could easily say something truthful, or just as close, to get them nervous. Those were the ones he stayed clear of, while he sat back and let everything unfold on their own.

But that was not what was worrying him at the moment. What was, was that he hadn't heard nor read anything on Johnny in the past several days. Whereas there was a flood of things he stumbled upon, there now was a small trickle of rumors and theories, if that much. Had people become disenchanted with finding the Gambino family while sharing wild tales of being one of Johnny's lovers or long lost siblings, or had they found him already and weren't telling? He shuddered at the though of what some of the Gaian population would and could do to Johnny, regardless of what they thought of him, not to mention the smothering attention Gino would receive. If he was found alive, that is, or found at all.

A knock at the front door broke Edmund out of his thoughts and away from the screen; it had been low enough that he almost didn't hear it over the soft buzzing of the TV. He didn't react to it as quickly as he normally did, listening to hear if the knock would come again to grab his attention from whatever he was doing at the moment. There were few people up at this hour of the day, especially a day that was a holiday, and even few that would bother someone who might still be asleep. If it was someone he knew that was in trouble, they would knock again and more frantically.

The knock did come again, this time longer and more louder then the first one. Edmund sighed, putting the laptop back pun the bed and stood up wearily. There were times that he did not feel like answering the door and this was one of those times, although there were some people that would stand at the door for hours, waiting for him to answer. The knocking became persistent, as if the visitor wanted his attention and wanted it now, regardless if he was awake or still asleep. Either way, as he strode through the bedroom doorway, down the hallway, and into the spacious living room, he was getting more then a little annoyed at the knocking, even if it was someone in need.

"Alright, alright," He muttered as he came to the door and started to undo the two latches that partly kept the door locked. The knocking stopped abruptly as he unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door to reveal who was standing there. He got a surprise for the day, as he stared at the two that were standing there as if they hadn't left for years.

"Hello, Edmund. Glad to see us?" The two women chimed together as Edmund stepped back in more then just courtesy. They smiled at the look of sheer surprise on his face as they stepped in, still wearing their tattered cloaks that had helped them keep in the shadows of the city.

"Anna. Marie. What in all the hells are you two doing here?" Edmund asked after the initial shock had worn off. One of the women, Anna, smiled sweetly at him as she closed door with the hell of her left shoe.

"We've come back for the key to the mansion, that's all. It's as simple as that," The other, Marie, said, checking her nails quickly before looking at Edmund with a bored look. "We'd have a set for the whole mansion, but apparently father didn't trust us enough to give us any."

"What key? I have no key to the front of the mansion, nor any other one. You'll have to go to Isle de Gambino to get them. Good luck searching," He said with a smile and a wink. And to wonder why their father never bothered to trust them. Hell, if they were my daughters, I wouldn't trust them with a single gold piece, he thought to himself as he got ready to turn around back to his bedroom to at least get a shirt on. Just as he was about to take one step forward, Anna jumped in front of him to block his quick escape.

"You don't have the key? Not even to the safes?" She demanded, staring daggers at him. Edmund shook his head at the questions, still smiling at her as though it was a great joy to see her squirm with anger. "If you don't have them, who does?"

"Don't tell us that bastard, Gambino, does." Marie strode quickly to where her sister stood and crossed her arms over her chest. She stared at Edmund, her eyes narrowing to slits. "He took our eldest sister away, knocked her up, then forced her to marry him when she was going to leave with his child before he even was born. She died under mysterious circumstances, just like our father. I don't believe for a second that she died while giving birth to our nephew, as he said she did. I can't believe our father would trust him like that, with everything that he has done."

"Well, you'll be happy to know a few things about Johnny that has happened in the past few months, once you have gone to the island to see for yourselves. As I said before, good luck searching. So, if you excuse me, I have some work to catch up on and people to see today. Good day to you, ladies." He bowed his head slightly to them, wishing silently to himself that they would go away even if he was partly glad to know that they were still alive. While he would agree to what most of the sisters would say about Johnny, there were insults that even he, Edmund, would love to slap them for. There was only so much that he could take in one day, even if some of it were true. Even though they look innocent, they aren't exactly saints themselves.

"Edmund, don't give us riddles. We know you know something. Spill it," Marie said, glaring at him with the same coldness that was on Anna's face. Edmund stood there and looked at him, unfazed at the expressions on their faces and the looks that they were giving him. It wouldn't work on him, not the way they were going about doing it. If she didn't hate the sisters as much as she did, he would have sent them off to Ruby for a quick lesson on how to get information from someone with a look alone.

"Know what? If I knew anything, I'd tell you," He said simply, his smile fading and an annoyed frown taking it's place. Anna raised an eyebrow, leaning slightly forward as she watched him. He sighed, rubbing his forehead slightly as he felt a headache starting to form. "Listen, both of you. I am going to say this once, so you two had better listen. If there was anything, ANYTHING, that I knew that you wanted to heard, I'd be the first to tell you two. As it stands, the only thing I know is rumors, and I know for a fact that you two don't want to hear rumors. If you want to know more, I suggest you look for that woman that is a reporter from the Gaia 9 News station. Cindy something. I could never remember her last name. She has a habit of poking her nose into things, just like Ruby. I swear, if I didn't know better, I'd think the two were separated at birth."

Anna and Marie looked at each other, odd expressions on their faces. Edmund knew that he had just lied to them as best as he could, but it was something that he had promised a friend he would do, even at the expense of the promise he had given to the sister's father years ago. Of course, that was before he and everyone else on Gaian soil knew what the sisters were capable of doing, even at an early age. As reckless and dangerous they had been at their age then, he was surprised either one hadn't died yet from those two traits alone. Even Johnny wasn't as reckless as they were, although he was very close indeed.

"If you say so, Edmund. Does Gambino still live on the island?" Marie asked, giving him a sideways look. Edmund opened his mouth to say something then closed it shut. He let a sly smile come upon his lips, as though he had a plan up his sleeve. That was what he wanted them to think, that there was something that he had in mind rather then to actually help them.

"Yes, he does. I suggest you start now for his mansion, if you don't want to wait. It'll take you a little while to get to the island, only because the boats from the port don't start their runs back and forth from the island and the port until about ten." That wasn't a total lie, but hopefully it would deter them from reaching the island at the moment. If G-Corp had picked up anything and everything that was of value after the Halloween party, then he had nothing to worry about and the sisters would have to resort to breaking into their mansion. Leon would have a field day if heard anything about the sisters breaking into their own mansion, probably killing them on sight if he had the power to do such a thing. If Edmund got his way, that is.

"Ten? But that's two and a half hours away," Anna wined, pouting. This reminded him of a young child that didn't get her way, although the sisters were long since grown up. "Isn't there another way of getting to the island without boats?"

"Ah....well, then. I hope that you two have kept up with your swimming lessons, because that's the only other option available. Just be careful, thought. The water is damn well near freezing this time of year, even the waters around the island are cold." H smiled at something then shrugged. "If you don't want to wait, then don't go. I am sure that Leon would love to have a reason to have you arrested, if you decide to break into your mansion."

"Who says we're going to get caught?" Marie asked, her own sly smile coming upon her lips. She nodded to Anna, who gave Edmund a look of pure disgust before the two walked towards the doorway, apparently having taken a liking to the idea of not having to go to the island. "Don't bother showing us out, Edmund. We know the way."

"Yes. We'll be around again soon. Expect it," Anna said to him as her sister opened the door and allowed themselves out without bothering to close the door behind them. Edmund watched them leave, frowning even more as he walked to the door and held the know in his hand for a few moments. There was something about them that had changed, as though they had grown more cold to Gaia, her territories, and all of her inhabitants. He hated the foreboding tone in which Anna had in her voice, his free hand moving up to the scar upon his forehead.

"I'll expect it. Don't you two worry," He muttered to himself, closing the door to keep the rest of the heat in the house. If he remembered correctly, he and the rest of the Gaian population would be seeing something interesting happening shortly.

****

The shadows were a most peculiar thing to see, even if they held dark mysteries that people were too scared to try and figure out. they were great for these same mysteries to hide and escape in, for people to disappear to when they did not wish to be seen, and to hold secrets that did not want to be told. These secrets were just as dark as those that often held it, even at the expense of an innocent life. Shadows were always willing to divulge these same secrets, but a price that few were and still are unwilling to pay.

Which was why he was no where willing or even intent on finding what lurked in the shadows, as the early morning sun crawled into the mid-day sky. It was still early by his own standards, but late enough to be up. He stretched out into the air, getting the last kinks out of his back before smiling at the sky above him. It wasn't warm enough to be wearing nothing to cover his arms, but that did not stop him from ignoring the nipping wind that came from the north. What he was going to be doing would not require an overcoat for long, or anything that would get in his way. That would only hinder him and his work.

He set about picking up metal pieces off of the piles of junk that were laying around, absently thinking of what he was going to create next. He had no set plan on how he was going to get to the end result, or what it was he was going to create next, yet it would be something he would be able to do with a few hours of free time he had, regardless of the holiday. He was one of the few that did not like the day to be wasted on feasting when there was so much other things he could be doing instead, like standing in awe at the things he was able to create with his own two hands.

He leaned down to reach for something small that was upon the ground, not watching where he was reaching or what he was reaching for. His hand hit a pair of shoed feet before his head came in contact with a pair of legs that was hiding behind a soft cloth. He looked up to see a woman standing there, staring down at him with a stern look that twisted her dark features and body art she had painted on her face. She had her hands balled into fists and those same fists were upon her hips, in a posture that reminded him of a stern-looking mother.

"Josie," He muttered with a half smile, standing up straight as he cradled all sorts of scrap metal in his arms. He would have tried to hide this behind his back, but that would be useless since she had seen them. "You are probably wondering what I am doing."

"Building another one of those robots that won't ever work, thank the gods and goddesses. Isn't three working ones enough as it is?" Josie asked with a sigh. It had taken him months to understand what she was saying with her thick accent when he first met her, but it was well worth her repeating every word. "Liam, why can't you make a simple wind chime instead of those.....things? And put a coat on. You'll freeze to death, if one of those things doesn't do it first."

But what's the point in making simple things that will take me only minutes to create? I've stopped at simple years ago," Liam said, his voice straining. He had known her since they were little kids, Josie only a few years old then he was . She he had been on his own since the age of five, she had been like a mother to him, regardless of the slight age difference. That didn't matter to him at all, the age difference; he was glad to have someone else that was human to talk to. He hardly remembered his own parents, having only a few remaining memories of them that only came to him in dreams.

Both had lived in the place that many Gaians referred to as the 'junk pile', even before it was considered a town. Liam had build some of the only three buildings that were usable from the wreckage of the buildings before it and things that were left abandoned years ago. He had also built, much to Josie's displeasure, three robots to help with the construction, since he could not do it all himself. Despite her distrust in them, she felt it was hard not to even slightly appreciate the uses that they had, even if she said that there was more then just a few slight problems with them.

"Then at least come inside for some Thanksgiving lunch, so you won't starve yourself. That is the last thing I need today," Josie said, smiling gently at him. Liam watched her face change from the stern look she was giving him, to a more relaxed expression. There had been only one other time that he had seen her face change to this relaxed expression so quickly and that had been years ago.

"Okay, what's wrong? I haven't seen you go from giving me glares when I am working on new ideas to being okay with something in years. What is it?" He asked, setting the scrap metal onto the ground. She looked at him with a mild expression, relaxing her arms to her side. Her eyes went hazy as she looked over towards the entrance of the town, as though she was expecting something to wander in at any moment.

"There is something in the wind that doesn't feel right. Something I don't like. I don't make this suggestion much, but you should shut down those things for now, until this feeling passes."

"What?" Liam asked, looking offended by the suggestion. He knew that Josie didn't care much for the robots, and hadn't suggested he turn their power supply off in several months, but that was something he wasn't willing to do unless there was a problem with one of them. "Why? I built all three of them myself and programmed them as best as I could. They won't hurt anyone, not unless I activating something in their systems, and I am the only one that can do that. And don't give me that look, Josie. I did it for protection."

"You may not see the big flaw in that, Liam, but I do. It is not worth having the extra programming in them, if something should go wrong," Josie said with a frown. Liam put his hands into his pockets and turned around, in a vain attempt to starve off the fleeting anger that was rising inside of him. If he knew Josie, and he knew her well enough, then he knew that she would attempt anything to shut the robots down.

"Tell me, then. What is this 'big flaw' all about? You've mentioned it before and never gave me a straight answer," He demanded without turning

Josie sighed, rubbing her forehead slightly at the tone in which she was asked in. "You'll only get even more angry at me if I say anything else."

Liam swirled around to face her, his hands coming out of his pockets. He fought the rising urge to do something he would regret later; instead, he balled his fists and stared down at the ground, wishing for once that someone would give him a straight answer instead of hiding the truth from him. He knew that there was something that even Josie was refusing to tell him, about his life, about the things he built, and the things that were to come. He knew that she could see things that were going to happen, even if those things were wrong. Those inklings had always seemed to help prepare them for the worst, even if the worst would never happen.

"No, you've already got my attention. What is it?" He said as calmly as he could, unclenching his teeth so that he could speak. Josie didn't respond right away, rubbing her upper arms with her hands as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other. She was stalling, that much knew, but what she was stalling for, he wanted to know.

"You don't get it, do you? those things, those robots, aren't totally in your control as you believe. There is something out there, just waiting to use them for a greater evil. You may have created them for innocent things, but that doesn't mean that this greater evil doesn't have ways to use them."

"What? What is out there that you are so afraid of? This 'greater evil'?" He gestured towards the entrance, as though something was waiting just out of there, out of their reach.

"I don't know just yet," She said softly, biting her lower lip. "There is something in the shadows. Something that I see in the corner of my eye, but when I turn around, it is not there anymore that I can see. It is as though the shadows moved and covered it up."

Liam stared at her, his mouth hanging open slightly. Josie was talking about things that she thought she saw, most likely her mind playing tricks on her instead of actual things that knew were there. Perhaps it was just the stress of things, or maybe it was just something that he didn't understand; whatever it was, it wasn't something he would be remotely worried about at the moment. Not until he found something else to worry about.

"You are getting paranoid, Josie," He said with a forced laugh. She stared at him, snorting and trying not to smile.

"Paranoid, am I? We shall see, Liam. We shall see," Josie said with a quick roll of her eyes. "Now come on and eat, before you catch more then just a cold."

Liam sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat as Josie turned around and walked towards the building that sat the farthest from them. He knew he was going to get anything else out of her until he at least ate something, trudging after her. The scrap pile he collected remained upon the ground where he had put it, until he was able to come and collect it once again. Maybe he'd build something simple, just to keep Josie from grumbling about other things he created.

Things that might just very well decided the fate of Gaia.

**Until Next Time**


	6. Chapter 5: Never Again

A Story For The Ages

**Part One:** _The Party Is Over_

**Written By:** _Armina Qi Saxton_

**Standard Disclaimer:** _See Prologue_

Chapter Five: **Never Again**

It seemed like he hadn't even gone to sleep, much less even found a comfortable place to lay down, when he awoke to the sounds of the day that had begun hours before, his head throbbing with pain. His eyes fluttered open, a groan escaping his lips, and a few curses about getting a new bed being tossed around his mind. It wasn't until he was able to fully comprehend the fact that he, Johnny Gambino, wasn't in a bed, that those same curses went away and a fear set inside of him. Where was he? What was he doing out here? Why wasn't he back inside his warm mansion? How did he get out here?

Those same questions he asked himself, he was able to answer himself just as easily once he had let himself awaken to a point that he could string two coherent thoughts together. He found himself leaning against a tree just outside of a road that wasn't far above the Reclamation Facility, still very well within the Gaian Territory but far from the comforts that he once had and known. He figured this had been his sleeping area from the night before, a stop just before he was about to collapse from a drunken sleep and he had a hangover to prove it. His mansion was gone, destroyed by a fatal mistake that cost him everything that he owned and perhaps the lives of countless innocent people. How he got there, he didn't remember exactly as he staggered to his feet and leaned against the tree for support.

He couldn't remember how much he had to drink; the events of the night before were too blurry for him to even try and attempt to remember. The only things that he could truly remember was that he had been bumped rudely by people as he went into Durem, perhaps to look once again for a place to stay for the night. That's when he apparently found a place to get a few drinks and everything else seemed to fall into place; how he managed to pay for it was amazing, considering how much it took to get him drunk enough not to remember or feeling like he was about to pass out.

"Damn it," Johnny grumbled, putting a hand to his forehead. His head felt like it was about to split open, as though someone was taking a hammer to his forehead and hitting it rapidly without stopping. The contents of his stomach didn't seem to be agreeing with him either, as he leaned over and threw up. What he had to drink the night before might have tasted good on the way down, but it wasn't tasting all that great on the way up. He made mental note to try and refrain from drinking this much again, if he could remember not to. His mind wasn't exactly in the right mode to be remembering things like that.

He staggered forward several minutes later after his stomach had settled enough for him to moving, being careful as to where he stepped. If there wasn't anyone on the road leading from Durem to Barton and back again, then he wouldn't have to worry about anyone seeing him in this condition. He didn't know how many Gaian's had seen him last night, drunk as hell and staggering his way out of the city. He'd hear about it eventually, from more then one source that would make sure that he'd overhear it. As long as he didn't get hit by any more rocks along the way, he'd be fine.

"Johnny? Is that you?" A voice asked as soon as he stumbled onto the path. Johnny stopped, wishing that the Reclamation Facility wasn't as far away as it was, even though it was only a few feet away at the most. He needed to lean on something as he turned around several times to see who it was even if he couldn't see that person very well when he turned around. It was only when a hand sat upon his right arm did he stop entirely and looked over to see who it was. Smiling at him underneath styled hair with aged eyes, Vanessa dropped her hand down to her side and took a few steps back.

He wasn't as surprised to see her standing there as he should be, as though they had seen ach other only days before. It had been literally months since he had last seen her, when he was commenting on the Olympics. Johnny barely could return the smile, rubbing his head again as though that would stop it from throbbing with pain. If I ever drink that much again, I'll make sure someone gets it on camera so I know what I look drunk once I've sobered up, He thought wearily to himself.

"No, Vanessa. It's the Easter Bunny," He said coolly, not in the mood to talk to anyone. His tone would have said it all to some, but not her. She stared at him, giving him a cold stare as though she expected something else from him. Sighing, he staggered to one side and sat down on the steps of the Reclamation Facility, leaning back as the he would fall over forwards. "Of course it's me. Who else would I be?"

"You don't have to be so rude about it, Johnny. I'm only asking, all considering." Vanessa looked at him from overtop her glasses. "What are you doing out here? Other then the obvious."

"Other then that, I have no idea, really. I must have had a little too much to drink last night and somehow ended out here." Johnny gestured to the northern road that lead from the Reclamation Facility. "What are you doing up at this hour anyways? You and Moira seem to have the same exact sleeping schedule as each other."

"Agatha and Logan joined me and Edmund for dinner last night. You know, double dating. It's good to have another couple spend the evening with you." She smiled broadly as she led up a small denim bag that he was just now noticing Vanessa was carrying. The bag didn't look like it was holding much of anything, perhaps a few small items that could have waited until another day to be brought to wherever it was going to be taken to. He suspected it didn't have anything it, giving her an excuse to come out this way. "Agatha left a few certain items over at my house and she might need them."

"I see," Johnny said, closing his eyes. A mental picture flashed in his mind, something that he didn't really want to imagine with his headache. In fact, it wasn't something to see at all, even when he wasn't reeling from a hangover. When he opened his eyes, he noticed the smirk that was on Vanessa's face and the laugh that she was trying to hold back. "What? What's so funny?"

"You, Johnny Gambino." Her shoulders shook with silent laughter, her eyes glittering with amusement. "In all the years I've known you, I've never once heard you getting drunk as you did. I wouldn't once think that this would be something people all over Gaia wouldn't be talking about for a while, but I figure those that saw you aren't very willing to spread something so small like that so quickly."

He scowled at her, silently wishing he had even the slightest bit of strength to throw her into the murky waters behind him. As it were, he barely had enough strength to stand up and move forwards, stumbling over his own two feet. That was the set-back for him drinking: his body knew something was wrong with it and gave him the least amount of strength it could as though it was telling him not to do it harm again.

Vanessa stopped her silent fit of laughter as he lunged forwards and grabbed him just before he felt flat upon his face and humiliated himself even more. Even though there wasn't anyone else around, falling face-first onto the ground wasn't something he would have done normally, sober or not. Johnny smiled a thank you to her when she caught him, Vanessa only nodding as she slowly helped him up to his feet. Leaning upon her, Johnny closed his eyes tightly and opened them again, his legs feeling as though they were going to give out on him. If only the dizziness would only go away, he could deal with the headache more and the uneasiness he felt in his stomach.

"I wouldn't know how drunk I was. I can't seem to remember much from late last night. Care to enlighten me?" He asked, knowing full well that she knew more then he did. If he was going to hear anything about his antics from the night before, then at least it would be heard from someone he knew and not a second-hand source.

"As soon as you take a shower and get yourself cleaned up a bit." Vanessa looked him up and down, as though she had never seen him before. "You look like hell, Johnny."

"I feel like hell myself," He said, taking in a few deep breaths to calm his stomach. He didn't need to be throwing up again, not when there might be someone else coming from either Barton or Durem to see that. "I don't have any place to get myself straightened up. My mansion is gone, remember? Besides, there isn't a lot of people living in Gaia that would be that helpful."

It was partly a plea for help to her, something that Johnny had never heard himself really ask for until now. He straightened his back, realizing just how low he was at the moment and how lost he was. Even when he had asked Logan to hide him for a few days, it hadn't sunk in then that everything that he had was gone. He knew it wasn't there anymore, yet something inside of him was denying it to him fully until that very moment. There was nothing for him to go home to, now that the he had called home was no more. Not even the island could be called his home, even though he had lived on it for years. That was what troubled him, now understanding what he had lost and the fact that he could never get it again.

Tugging at his right sleeve, Johnny muttered something under his breath about having to go as he shrugged off Vanessa's hands from his shoulders. A faraway look came across his face, a look that read that he was lost and couldn't find his way back home. He wanted to get away from everything, away from anything that brought horrible memories back. Instead of moving away, he shut his eyes once again and fell to his knees as he put his face into the palms of his hands. Gone. That single word echoed in his mind, his hurting mind that was only getting worse. Everything in his life was gone and there was nothing he could do about it.

"What the hell happened to me? How did I ever fall off of the top rung of the ladder?" Johnny asked, more to himself then to Vanessa as she kneeled down in front of him. He lowered his hands and put them around his upper arms, tears rolling down his cheeks as he opened his eyes. "I had everything, Vanessa. Everything. Money, power, G-Corp. Anything that a person could ever want. No, wait. I didn't have everything." He looked up into her eyes as though she might have the answer. "I missed something. Something that's important. But what is it?"

"Family, Johnny. You never had a family," Vanessa said, standing up as she stared down at him. She held up a hand to stop him from speaking, as he opened his mouth to speak. "No, listen to me fully. You never once cared about that boy, not that I have seen. The last time I ever saw you look down upon him in a loving manner was when he was first born. Even before that, I saw the beginnings of what was to come."

Johnny wanted to say something to her words, but they were the truth as he lowered his gaze. His hands balled into fists, memories that he thought he had suppressed were surfacing again. He remembered the day he had brought his son home, after weeks of staying in between of life and death. He cursed those weeks, cursed them with every fiber of his body. They were spent watching over the tiny baby that no one though would live, who would soon join his mother in a place that was beyond their sight. Maybe that is where he is now. In a place that I can't harm him, he thought as he choked back the sobs that were threatening to overcoming him.

"You don't know, Vanessa. You and the rest of Gaia don't know what it was like to lose someone that you cared about, then having to see the resemblance in a child that looks up at you with that same innocent stare." Johnny looked up, his cheeks stained with tears that were long overdue. "I couldn't fully care about my son without thinking of what I lost, that we had lost. I tried to distance myself from him, but it was hard to stay away for long. I made the mistake of pushing him away once, and I am not going to do it again."

"Johnny, look around you. Gino isn't here. No one knows where he is, not even Leon and he is famous of finding people even when they don't want to be found." She spread her hands out. "If you cared, you would have at least attempted a better search for him, even when he wasn't there for the party. Many of us believe that he didn't want to come back."

"I wouldn't blame him, after the way I treated him," He said softly, looking past Vanessa and into the untamed land behind her. He had wondered, in the weeks after the Olympics and days before the Halloween party, where Gin had run off to. He could even admit to himself that he didn't even care at the time, thinking the boy didn't want to face the humiliation of being defeated in something so simple. Anger turned to fear when he didn't return after a few days, a fear that he had felt once before.

Even after the search for Gino ended, Johnny couldn't help but think of where his son had gone off to, if he was still alive. He knew his son was last seen in his very Reclamation Facility, drowned perhaps. A life lost because of him. That struck him the hardest, knowing that his actions caused the death of something that few knew he cared for. If only things had been different, then he wouldn't be blaming himself so much.

"Few would disagree with you," Vanessa said wistfully after a few moments of silence. She offered a hand to him, Johnny's gaze coming back into focus as he stared at her hand. "I'm offering you help, in what little ways I can. There aren't many people who would be publicly willing to offer you this help. I am willing to lend you a shower, maybe able to do something with your hair. Your clothes, however, are another matter. I think I can wash them up without much more damage being done to them, but that is about all at the moment."

"What's the catch?" He asked, eyeing her as he wiped any remaining tears away. There was always a catch to someone else's help.

"The catch is that you have to answer some of my questions, maybe some of Edmund's as well, if he doesn't just stand there, listening. Over breakfast?" The last bit was more of a question than a statement, as Johnny smiled forcefully at the deal. He took her hand, pulling himself up with Vanessa's help as he wobbled to his feet once again. She smiled back at him, letting go of his hand as she turned around and started back towards Durem, Johnny standing where he was for the moment before following her.

"Wait. What about Agatha's....well, things?" He asked, trying to stay as close to her as possible without moving too fast. Vanessa turned her head over her shoulder for a moment, a sly smile coming upon her lips before she turned her head back forwards.

"Oh, I'll give them back to her eventually, or she'll wander back into Durem if she wants them back," She replied, chuckling. Whatever she had in the bag, he tried not to think about it, shuddering at any thoughts that came into his mind. And he was not about to ask about it either, in case his inquiries would ceased any help he would receive from Vanessa.

It was better to speculate then to ask.

****

Vanessa watched as Edmund paced in front of the refrigerator, sitting at the kitchen table as she tapped her fingers upon the table. Her eyes moved with him, as he held his arms across his chest and a scowl upon his face. His eyes looked unfocused and seep in thought, as though he was thinking of something rather ten expressing any thoughts to her. The want to ask him what was wrong nagged at her, but she remained silent and continued to watch him instead.

Edmund had been there already when Vanessa came inside the kitchen, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before Vanessa lowered her gaze and started breakfast. Johnny didn't even look at him, much less say a good morning, as he sat down at the kitchen table, his hands upon the table itself and his eyes staring down at his hands. Edmund sat on the other side of him, staring at his friend with interest. There was so many questions that he wanted to ask, but the words wouldn't form in his mouth out of the sheer amazement that the man sitting in front of him was still alive.

They hadn't been alone together for long, perhaps no more then a half of an hour after breakfast was over, with Johnny heading off to the shower where he would be able to clean himself up for the time being. Breakfast was spent in almost perfect silence, with Vanessa asking Johnny a few questions about the night before and telling him in return of the things that she had heard about his drunken night. It wasn't pretty what she told him, with him wobbling in the streets of Durem and his slurred speech to others that passed him by. That wasn't the worst of it and probably wouldn't be, with it being barely even ten thirty in the morning. There was still a whole wild speculation ahead of him.

That hadn't been the half of it, as Vanessa told the tales that she heard just from walking from Durem only an hour and a half before. During her talking, Johnny kept his eyes down and prodded his leftover food, still too sick to his stomach to eat much more. After listening to her, he wasn't sure that the little bit of food that he did eat would stay in his stomach for long, as he excused himself from the kitchen table, walking quickly and silently out of the kitchen doorway and down the hall to the bathroom.

Vanessa had cleaned up the uneaten food, putting some of it into a disposable bowl for Johnny to take with him, in case he was able to eat something later in the day. She only left the kitchen once to get whatever clothes that Johnny had worn, from the dryer, half glad that he had been able to wear some old clothes of Edmunds for breakfast. She did this in silence, with Edmund standing up from the table and starting his pacing in front of the refrigerator as soon as she had come back into the kitchen. It was then that she had poured herself a cup of coffee and sat back down, the silence becoming too much as one of them finally spoke.

"What are we going to do with him?" Edmund asked finally, stopping his pacing as he stared down at the floor. "He can't stay here with you, that's for sure. If people found out, they would be knocking down your door, just to catch a glimpse at him at the least. Even the reporter from Gaia 9 would be banging at your door."

"If it's too awkward for you, or too much of a hassle to sidestep any more questions, then I'll kick him back to the streets where I found him. Goodness knows that's what he needs right now, although the offer is tempting," Vanessa said hotly, standing from her seat. She took the coffee cup that had been in front of her, walking silently to the sink to rinse it out. Edmund stayed just as quiet, muttering something to himself as he leaned up against the refrigerator, his arms still crossed over his chest. He looked over at her, watching her back before speaking.

"V, it's not that he needs it. I've seen him lurking around, as though he wants more pity then what he's got. There is more then enough people out there that would want to help him, more then any of us expected. It's just that...." He let his voice trail off, a smile playing on his lips as he looked down at the table. Vanessa let the water run into the cup, staring at the wall as though there was nothing else that she was doing at the moment. She turned the knob quickly, shutting the water off as she turned around and stared daggers at Edmund.

"If it is because of those Von Helson sisters coming back, then don't bother explaining any further," She said when he opened his mouth to speak. "I understand that two, pretty, young girls with a home and riches are more important then the man who loseteverything, even if he deserved it."

"It's not that. Believe me, there are times that I wish I hadn't made that promise to their father," Edmund said quietly before raising his voice. "If any of us knew a shred of what we now know about Anna and Marie then, I wouldn't have made that promise. As it stands, I am obligated to live up to that promise, even if I have to break it every now and then because of Johnny. And, besides, you don't care much for him anyways, so why are you doing this for him?"

"Because I am not about to let him wander around looking like he has been living in the gutter these past few weeks. I wouldn't be surprised if he has." Her voice was raising to a point that could be considered shouting, as Edmund stared at her blankly. He knew what she was hinting at, and he would have given anything to prove her right, but at the same time, there was a nagging feeling inside of him that wanted him to believe that Johnny did not exist.

"Your point is what?" He heard himself say, then wished he hadn't spoken at all. Vanessa's eyes flared up, her hands going upon her hips as though she was about to charge at him.

"My point, Edmund, is the fact that you sound as though you are supporting two rich, spoiled bitches rather then supporting your own friend. This same friend, who got you just about everything from fame to wealth, is looking as though he lost his wife all over again. I may not care what he does after this, or even care about him at all, but at least I'd help him regardless of what I think of him now and what I have thought of him before, if he had done so much for me." She took in a deep breath, saying all of that in one long breath but still able to make herself be understood. Edmund put the back of his head upon the refrigerator, closing his eyes as he did. Neither one of them noticed that there was another that had just wandered into the room until a voice spoke up for that same person.

"And what are your thoughts on me exactly, Vanessa?" The voice asked from the kitchen doorway. Vanessa jumped, quickly putting a hand over her opened mouth as she turned towards the doorway. Edmund's eyes snapped open, his head lowering down as both of their gazes fell upon Johnny Gambino, who stood in the same doorway as he looked directly at Vanessa. He wore the same clothing that he had worn since the Halloween party, but they were clean rather then dirty and he himself looked as though barely nothing had happened. His hair was slicked back after the shower he had just come from, his face not smudged with dirt and everything else just as clean as it once was.

"Oh my. Johnny. How long have you been standing there?" Vanessa asked as she lowered her hand, glancing nervously towards Edmund. Had he heard everything that they had spoken about?

"Not long. I heard you two talking, but didn't hear much of what you were saying." He tried to smile as though nothing was wrong, but both Edmund and Vanessa both had a feeling he had heard every word that they had said to each other. "Answer my question. What do you think of me?"

"It doesn't matter, Johnny, what I think. It is Edmund?" She asked, glancing over towards Edmund who gave her a raided eyebrow look.

"Better to let him hear it from your own lips rather then hearing it from someone else's," He said plainly with a shrug. Vanessa gave him a glare before turning back to Johnny with a slightly softer expression.

"I see. Well in that case," She started, clasping her hands together," I'll tell you what I think. Johnny, I don't care for you that much. That should be no secret between us. You are insensitive, uncaring, and rude. You don't deserve the things I am doing for you at all, or anything that others are more willing then I to do. I should have left you where you were, on the steps of the Reclamation Facility, with that hangover I know you still have and feeling more then sorry for yourself because you bit off more then you can chew."

Johnny didn't say anything, letting the words Vanessa spoke sink into his mind. It was truth he, Edmund, and Vanessa knew. He had been called worse thins to his face before and they had not fazed him the slightest. Then, he had been on top of everything, able to shrug off insults as though they were just raindrops on a rainy day. Now it was as though he was hearing them for the first time, as though no one had dared to speak them to his face before. It helped him in ways that he didn't understand quiet yet, hearing those words.

Vanessa was right on another point: his hangover was still there, even after eating as little as he had and taking a hot shower. The only different between the two hours since he had come into Vanessa's home and now, was that he no longer felt dizzy. He wasn't about to fall over from lack of strength either; the short time he spent in a warm home had done wonders to that dizziness, causing it to cease all but a little. It wasn't much, but it made all the difference.

"Yet, you helped me anyways," He said after a few moments of silence. "Why? Why would you help me if you don't care the slightest?"

"Three reasons, actually. One, because you've been dealt a serious blow that even I couldn't recover fully from. It's a lesson that you are going to have to learn about life and that is you can't always hide behind power. I think, unlike others, you can change," She said with a quick nod. "Two, I have a feeling that Gino isn't dead like you think he is. While no one knows where he is at, he is still out there somewhere. I am not one to let you starve yourself to death and not have that boy without a father, even though you aren't much of a father to begin with. At least it's something, him having at least one person to look out for him despite everything."

"It is," Johnny echoed, his shoulders sagging slightly. He couldn't argue with her on that; while he had taken a shower, his thoughts had drifted to the things he had done and said to his son. A good portion of his actions and words towards Gino hadn't been nice, not even acceptable, but there was always those moments that he wished he could have gone back to and stayed in forever. There were regrets but no ability to change what had happened. "And the third reason?"

"Thirdly, because I want to see the Von Helson sisters squirm when they see you alive. They think, or probably rather thought, you're dead, buried somewhere underneath all the rubble that once was your mansion," She said with a firm smile. Vanessa studied Johnny's face, which went from somber to surprised then to angry in less then a minute. He looked rather shocked at the notion that the sisters were back on Gaian soil, something that made her wonder if he had really heard everything she and Edmund had said.

"Anna and Marie?" He said softly and angrily, as though the sister's names did not deserve to be spoken. "They're back? When did this happen?"

"Two days ago, on Thanksgiving. They came to me, looking for the keys to their mansion," Edmund said, pushing himself away from the refrigerator. He uncrossed his arms and placed his hands upon the kitchen chair that was closest to him, looking directly at Johnny. "I told them I didn't have them and that you did. They got angry about it in their usual way and left not long after I gave them the news. Apparently they went to the island and saw for themselves. what had happened and, judging from the broken glass that was around the mansion yesterday, they didn't find them."

Johnny looked at the ground for a moment, his eyes moving side to side see as though he was trying to think of something. He couldn't place any sets of keys that he had been given in the last decade or two; of course, it had been a good ten years since he had last seen the sisters, even more if he stood corrected. There had been so many keys to his own home that he couldn't keep track of them, so why would he remember a set of keys to another's mansion?

"Vladamir never gave me any keys to his mansion that I can remember. I don't recall him even mentioning handing them to anyone, either. I would have thought that he would have given them to you instead, as you are closer to the mansion then I was."

"Wait a moment," Vanessa said, looking from one man to the other. "What are you two talking about?"

"A few years before Vladamir died, he said he entrusted a set of keys to everything in the mansion, to someone in the family other then the sisters." Edmund rubbed his forehead absently. "I assumed it was Johnny, because he married into Vladamir's family."

"Yes, the Gambino and Von Helson families are related, but by marriage only," Johnny explained when he caught a glimpse of Vanessa's shocked expression, although it was a very mild one. "Gino has Von Helson blood in him, as much as I hate to admit it."

Edmund nodded quickly. "Somehow, the sisters got the impression that their father trust them more then he did and left a set of keys for them with one of us." He gestured to himself and Johnny, who just nodded in return. "They were wrong, if I go by what Johnny just said, and they broke into their own mansion. I knew they were going to do it, but there was little I could have done to stop them."

"There was always Leon, Edmund," Vanessa said, glaring at him as she pushed her lips together firmly. Edmund didn't say anything, ignoring the look that she was giving him. "If you knew, you could have gone to get him. You don't know what those two are planning in there."

"And what would Leon have done, Vanessa?" He demanded, looking at her for the first time in ten minutes. There was something in his eyes that told her she had crossed a line that she did not know she had crossed. "I suspect he would have done more then arrest them, considering he puts a fair amount of the blame on Vladamir for his parent's deaths and that blame might just very well have fallen onto the sisters shoulders. If he knew they were planning to break into their own home, that is. I assume he would have been at the doorstep waiting for them, regardless of what they were going to do."

"That would have cost him his freedom, if he did any harm to them. They would have seen to it," Vanessa said with a frown. "Leon isn't stupid enough to risk everything like that."

"He would have if he thought it was worth it. If it was to avenge his parents, he would have," Edmund said, fighting down the urge to move a finger over the scar upon his forehead. If Vanessa only knew the things that Leon had seen as a child that day, then she would have understood better.

"Does he know that the sisters are back?" Johnny asked. "Assuming he didn't see them strolling through Barton in broad daylight when they went looking for me and Anna and Marie aren't keeping a low enough profile right now."

"I am more then positive that he does, considering what Moira has told me," Edmund said with a amused smile on his lips. That smile faded some when he saw two looks coming his way, as though they were confused and doubt at the same time. "She claims that that she saw Ian, Logan, and a few others holding him back from leaving Barton through the exit that leads towards Durem, when she was coming from one of her visits to the island yesterday. She said he was trying to get loose from them and shouting something along the lines of 'Let me at them!'."

"And you believe her?" Vanessa asked with a dumbfounded look upon her face. Edmund shrugged, the smile coming fully back on his lips.

"I wouldn't be surprised if that were true, considering that he hates them just as much as Johnny does, although he wouldn't admit it to anyone else that he doesn't know very well." Edmund paused for a moment, listening to the clock in the living room as it chimed at the hour, then continued. "You know word spreads like wildfire around here, so it wouldn't surprise me if he knew that they were in Durem again the same day they came back. Then again, like you and so many other people in Gaia, I can't see Leon doing that right where everyone can see him."

They lapsed back into silence, each falling into their own thoughts. Johnny shifted his weight uncomfortably from foot to foot, wishing that the conversation would end here. There was a feeling he had that told him it would soon focus on more then just the sisters and Vladamir, if he wasn't careful enough to stay quiet and refuse to speak. Although it had been a little over a decade and a half since he lost one of the things he lived for, it was still a touchy subject whenever someone brought it up. That was one reason he had never spoken to Gino about it and perhaps now he would never get the chance to.

He glanced over at Vanessa, who was busying wiping her glasses on a paper towel, not even bothering to meet his gaze. Then he looked over at Edmund, who watching him like a hawk. Their gazes met, firm looks exchanged between them. It was a silent battler between them, as though facial expressions and looks were all they needed to go on. they did not need to speak words to each other, their faces saying what they needed to say without even one word being spoken to either one of them.

"What happened to Vladamir? I know he died, but I don't know how," Vanessa said, once she had put her glasses back on. This broke the silent conversation between Johnny and Edmund, as Edmund looked over towards her with a sigh.

"That's the problem. No one knows how he died, save for three people in Gaia. One is six feet under and the other two aren't talking. Vladamir died a few years after his eldest daughter passed away." Edmund gave Johnny a quick apologetic look; in return, there was a momentary lapse of emotion on his face, one that the other two people in the room seemed to have caught. "I believe Gino was six then when Vladamir died. I know you never wanted him to have any contact with his mother's family, but I think it would have helped ease any tensions that there were, among other things."

The pain that had gone through Johnny's eyes returned for a split second, this time it was only Edmund that saw it even though it was brief look. He didn't speak, afraid that if he did, everything would come flooding out and he would be reduced to a crying pulp. He had already let Vanessa glimpse at what emotions he kept inside of him and that was more then enough then he was willing to let anyone else see. Even so, if he did not speak up in his defense, then they would not know his reasoning behind his actions.

"Help with what? Both of them had tried to take my son away from me, but I wouldn't let them. Don't look at me like that, Vanessa." Johnny gave her a cold glare when Vanessa opened her mouth to speak. "As I told you before, there are things about my relationship with my son that you just don't know of. I care about him more then you think I do."

"Is that why they hate you? Because of Gino?" She said softly, feeling the angry heat radiating from him. If she had been anyone else, anyone else at all in Gaia, and didn't know him as she did, then she would have cowered under that same look, rather then just lower her voice. Despite him loosing all power that he had, he still had a sense of authority in him.

"No, that's not the full reason why," Johnny said with a shake of his head. "It is mostly because they believed, and perhaps still do, that I killed their sister. I never would have harmed a hair on her head, even if I was given the chance to. Her pregnancy was difficult as it was, which they could have plainly seen if they had bothered to look at the full picture. Gino's premature birth wasn't any easier on her, either. I lost her two days after he was born."

If he had felt choked up before, he was now feeling more like breaking down and crying at the moment. He balled his fists together, forcing back the tears that were just waiting to overflow; thinking about it was one thing, but talking about it was another. Vanessa finally saw what Edmund had seen in that once second: the unfocused eyes, the paled face, the lips pushed into a thin line, and a mist that was forming at the base of the eyes. She saw him trying to hold back thee emotions that wanted to be let free, but the person that felt these same emotions was trying to keep them hidden from everyone else. It was something that he had found to be not hard at all, until this very moment.

If all the thoughts that had crossed her mind about this man had been thought at this same moment, she would have ignored them. They would not have described him as the one that had stood by and let so many people die. They would not have been for the man that had shown no love for his own flesh and blood that was no where to be found. None of those same thoughts would have suited him; instead, she felt more sorry for him then she had in years. Just his expression alone was enough to change her mind.

"Johnny, I....I'm sorry," She said just above a whisper. It was an apology for the things that she thought, the things she had said, and everything that had happened in between.

"Don't be," Johnny said with a half-hearted smile. "Everything is said and done, whether or not I've heard it. There is nothing I can do to change it, even after sixteen years. Never again."

He gave them both a quick nod before he turned around and walked through the kitchen door. Vanessa stared after his retreating form, mouth slightly agape and a confused look on her face, before looking over towards Edmund. He had his hands off of the chair and was also staring at the doorway that held nothing but empty air. His face was serious and set, as though he had not heard a word that either one had spoken.

"Never again? What does that mean?" She inquired, hoping to get at least a small answer out of him.

"If there is one thing that I know Johnny Gambino will never let himself do, it is to fall in love as he did before, if he lets himself fall in love at all. That is why he was so cold towards Gino, the coldness we saw. He couldn't see past the resemblance of his wife in Gino for the longest time." He tried to smile at a passing thought, but the smile was forced and he quickly abandoned trying to make his lips turn into anything but a frown. "That is partly the reason why he let the power go to his head. Because he couldn't stand being alone, even with his son there. The rest, well, is for him to know and for you not to question."

"Sudden you've become less cold towards him and more sympathetic," She said, narrowing her eyes. "Less like you want the sisters to come and behead him himself. Make up your mind, would you?"

"It's not that I am cold toward him, or that my sympathy is greater. It is just he's done things in the last few years that I probably would never have forgiven him for if I didn't know him better. Like I said before, I have an obligation to the sisters that needs to be carried through. If that's the cover I need for the public, then that's what I'll use." Winking at her, he picked up his coat from the kitchen table and put it on. Vanessa continued to stare at him, her head shaking in disbelief. She couldn't understand either of them and was no closer to it today. "Look, I have to go. There are a few things that I need to do and a shop to run. I'll see you and Johnny for dinner."

"Maybe," She said, looking doubtful. "I'll get back to you on that."

"Look, Johnny has a lot to deal with right now, with hearing that the sisters are back in the city and not knowing where Gino is, if he is still alive. Best to leave him alone for now," Edmund said with a comforting smile that was more then genuine. When he saw the expression on her face hadn't changed, he sighed. "Keep him here, until I know for sure that the sisters won't try and skin him alive, or anything else they can do with their hands, tonight. By now they know isn't dead and will be asking more then enough questions on his whereabouts."

"And how am I supposed to keep the former most powerful man in Gaia here?" She gestured to the open kitchen door that Johnny had once stood in. "He isn't exactly a person of small size, you know. If I were anyone else, I wouldn't want to even try to think of what he could do, with or without power."

"Threaten him with Leon or something else. I don't care what. Just keep him here, in the house, where no one will see him. I don't doubt there is a hunch of people just waiting to laugh in his face, if it's not the Gaia 9 news team that would practically shove cameras in his face." He gave her his best innocent look that he knew, walking over to her slowly and carefully. He then kissed her on the cheek, caressing upper arms before he stepped back to see her reaction.

"I hate it when you do this to me," She grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. "You know how much you and Johnny owe me, right?"

"When everything has passed over, then we'll talk on that," Edmund said with a loving look and a quick wiggle of his eyebrows. "You know I love you."

"Go on and get out of here, old man," Vanessa said with a roll of her eyes and a attempt not to smile. "You've got a shop to run. I'll keep the salon closed today, but only today and because you don't want Johnny sneaking out and others sneaking in."

"I still love you," He said quietly, giving her a quick kiss on the lips before walking out of the kitchen. Vanessa sighed and shook her head, at last alone and able to piece everything that had been said without anyone else to distract her. Everything had been said too fast and in a short amount of time, her mind playing catch-up to her memories and the last few minutes.

There would be a lot of time spent alone this day, thinking about things that should have never been remembered.

**Until Next Time**


	7. Chapter 6: Guilt

A Story For The Ages

**Part One:** _The Party Is Over_

**Written By:** _Armina Qi Saxton_

**Standard Disclaimer:** _See Prologue_

Chapter Six: _Guilt_

Edmund walked away from where Vanessa's home was located, on the other side of Durem and far away from most of the commotion of the city. It was far enough away from his own shop and home, but close enough that he didn't have to travel as far as some people did to get to the city. Moira, although a city girl by heart and nature, had a home just south of Durem where there were several small communities that were built several years ago. It was all due in part of the Housing Commission and a few robots that there were these communities scattered all over Gaian soil and perhaps some into the next few lands as well. Some would think that these communities would have been a burden for everyone, but it was more like a blessing that there was places for Gaians to live, rather then to crowd the island, Durem, or even Barton.

His mind was on other things besides homes and gardens, but rather upon the conversation that had taken places only five minutes before. His mind was still reeling from the conversation he just had with Vanessa and Johnny. He couldn't get the look that was on Johnny's face out of his mind, the look that showed that he was still very much human. It was a look that Edmund hadn't seen in years, when Johnny's wife had died. That look alone was gut-wrenching, just as he had seen Vanessa becoming quiet and looking as though she, herself, was going to cry from that look. He wouldn't have been surprised if she had.

Edmund turned his head over his shoulder slightly, his eyes narrowing at the sound of footsteps coming from behind him. He knew he was being followed, but had figured it was several Gaian's going the same way that he was going. He smiled slightly, turning his head back around at the thought of someone stalking him. He knew who was that followed him, although they had kept a reasonable distance away from him. If he didn't know better, he'd think that they hadn't followed him all the way from Vanessa's but had been hiding somewhere else along his route. A small bit of panic set into him at the mere thought of what they could have seen. Did these same people know that Johnny was there, hiding? If so, then he had a lot of covering up to do. If not, then he was safe to face these same two that were ready to pounce on him.

"Morning ladies," He said, his walking coming to a halt not far from where he could see his shop but far enough away that he still had a bit of walking to do. He didn't need to turn around fully to confirm his suspicions on the two women who had followed him from Vanessa's, as he already knew that they were there and who they were. Both walked around him, turning around to face him only when they were at least a foot and a half away from him. One was Anna Corrine Von Helson, the other Marie Von Helson, sisters that were nearly identical in every way, even down to the type of clothing they wore. But he knew there was one difference between them that no one else saw: Marie had always been the more caring one, even though she still had the same sadistic, twisted mind that Anna had.

"Where is he?" Anna said coldly and with an icy glare to boot. Edmund stared at her blankly, knowing full well who she was talking about, but refrained from showing that he knew.

"Where is who?" Edmund asked politely as possible, glancing over Anna's shoulder. He saw there were several Gaians waiting at his storefront, each looking at their watches and muttering to themselves. If he didn't get there soon, there might be more then just an angry mob waiting for him.

"Don't play dumb with us, Edmund," Marie hissed, giving the same cold, uncaring glare that her sister did. "You know who we are talking about."

"No, I don't actually," He said smiling sheepishly. There was a pang of panic that ran through him, a feeling that he was desperately trying to keep hidden from the sisters.

"Gambino, you idiot. That's who we are talking about," Anna said with an angry sigh. Edmund frowned, not talking a liking to be called an idiot directly to his face. "Where is he?"

"We heard rumors about his drunken rampage last night. I---we, rather---want to see if it is true or not," Marie said matter-of-factly. He bit his lower lip, telling himself mentally to keep Johnny's whereabouts a secret to everyone, even the sisters. He had half of a mind to tell them where he was, but that would most likely lead to them doing something to Vanessa if they got a chance to. He cared more of her then he did Johnny and he was not about to risk her life any more then he had.

"And here I thought you two didn't buy rumors. I must have been mistaken," Edmund said with a stare. Marie smiled a smile that was part devilish and part innocent, a trait that he found to screw up her face more then to make it look as though she was plotting something.

"We don't. Hell, we thought ourselves he was dead, considering how there isn't anything left of his mansion," She said, her smile fading slightly when she saw that it didn't have any effect on Edmund.

"No one could have survived that," Anna said. "The news said there weren't any, but you know how things can be covered up."

"That is, until this morning when we heard a few things," Marie said with a nod of agreement. "I, myself, thought if he did survive that, he would have left with Gaia at his heels. You know just as well the two of us on rumors: they aren't true until proven."

"Yes, I do," Edmund, smiling gently at them. "I also know I have a small group of people waiting for me to open my shop, so if you two will excuse me, I've got a business to run. Anna. Marie."

He nodded a silent farewell to them, hoping that they would catch the drift that he did not want to be caught up with questions. There were plenty of others that would ask even more disturbing questions then these two minds could ever come up with and he knew for a fact that they were capable of coming up with some twisted questions. He wasn't going to find out next what they were going to ask but before he could take even two steps around Marie, he found the sisters themselves had other plans. Marie had come up on his right side, her hands clasping tightly around his arms while Anna came onto the other side and did the same to his other arm.

"Oh no you don't," Anna said, holding tightly on his arm. "We aren't finished with you just yet."

"We still have some unanswered questions to ask you," Marie said, holding his right arm not as tight as her sister.

"Ask them quick, because a mob of Gaian's isn't exactly what I had in mind to start my day," Edmund said with a semi-defeated sigh. And being asked questions about a man that I just want to get rid of isn't either, He mentally added to himself.

"Our first question: Where is Gambino?" Marie demanded.

"I told you two days ago, and I am going to tell you the same thing as I did then: I. Don't. Know," He said, keeping his calm as best as he could. It was already at the border of staying as calm as possible without starting a yelling match that would only give him more unwanted attention then he already had. He had enough with the talk between himself, Johnny, and Vanessa, and the encounter with the sisters wasn't helping him. "If I knew, then I wouldn't be the first one to know nor the last one to find out. You'd both probably find out at the same time as I did, if not just a bit sooner. Word travels fast in these parts, faster then they did years before."

"I don't believe you, Edmund," Anna said with a frown and a stare. "You know where he is at. Tell us."

"Anna, I don't....." He started before he was interrupted by Marie.

"Yes, you do know where he is at. Stop playing games with us. We are getting tired of it pretty quick," She growled, tightening her grip. If she held onto his arm for much longer, he would lose al feeling in it soon.

"What makes you think I know where he is at?" Edmund asked. It was amazing on how they could put a fear into him, a fear that they would find out where Johnny was and that would jeopardize more then one life in that house. It was also disturbing on how much they were interesting in one man that they had no contact with in over a decade.

"Because you are his _friend_," Marie said, stretching out the last word for emphasis. "If I were him, you'd be the first person I'd come crawling to for help after losing everything I had, if I ever stooped that low."

"Yes, and you'd drag your battered and bruised body from the island and port, through Bass'ken Lake, into Barton, then past the Reclamation Facility, and lastly into Durem to my shop. All this in broad daylight where people could see you and most likely make a scene of it." Edmund shook off their hands from his arms, straightening his coat as he glared at both of them. "Even if you were to somehow avoid detection by everyone -- which is hard considering you'd practically have to go around everything and that would take longer -- or tried to find help by night, going the distance between the island and the city isn't something you'd do when you are already halfway dead. All this just for a plea of help. Don't you think that Johnny would have asked someone closer to the island instead?"

"He has a point, Marie. There are places he'd go that are closer," Anna said, glancing over her sister. Marie just shrugged as though she did not think twice about that idea.

"Well, I am not about to wander all over Gaia just to get one piece of information when I've got a damn good source right in front of me." Marie came around to face Edmund, putting a hand onto his chin and smiled sweetly at him. "Edmund, darling. How much would it be worth to you if you told us where he is?"

"More then you have in that mansion of yours," He said, batting her hand away. "Look, unless you want people to be using pitchforks and torches pretty soon just to get their shoes and socks, I suggest you save any other questions for another time. Good day."

The two of them watched as Edmund strolled past them without another word and walked towards his shop, hands in his pockets and his back ridge. There was anger in their eyes that flared up, anger that was already at the boiling point and was ready to spill over, this encounter being the point in which everything started. They frowned even deeper, more then angry at the fact that they couldn't get any information out of him and weren't able to ask any more of the questions that they were more then dying to ask him. A later conversation, they knew, would have to take place, even if they had to track him down to have it.

"You think he is lying about where Gambino is?" Anna asked softly as she watched Edmund's retreating back.

"Of course he's lying," Marie said, with a roll of her eyes and her hands upon her hips. "He knows exactly where Gambino is and isn't about to tell. I don't know why he would want to keep a secret as big as that, when there are others in this hellish place that would be more then willing to sell that information."

"Well, if we can't buy it from anyone, then we'll have to do it the hard way," Anna said thoughtfully. Both sisters looked at each other, broad smiles replacing their angry frowns.

"Party it is," Marie said, her smile becoming something more then a smile that was calculating and cold. Then if faded, with the realization that any Gaian wouldn't bother coming to a party this close to a last disastrous party, even if it was hosted by two completely different people. "But not now, as some may not bother coming. It will take some planning on our part to get it just right. Besides, it would be fun to let Gambino squirm just a little bit, so that he is on edge. It is more fun that way."

"Agreed," Anna said, laughing as the two of them linked arms and started to walk in the direction of their mansion. They had a lot to plan and a lot of cleaning up to do; even with their quick and effortless remodeling they did with several of the spires and rooms, there still was a lot they had to do before any party could be thrown.

****

It wasn't the warmth of the bedroom or the lure of the outside or even the headache that was still there that kept Johnny Gambino awake, but rather it was something else that made him toss and turn without fail. After an hour and a half of trying to take at least a small nap, he decided it wasn't worth the effort and got out of the bed Vanessa was so kind to let him sleep in. He had made the best as best as he could, used to the maid he hired to do that for him. Everything that he had done himself before he had become rich and powerful had faded to the back of his mind and he struggled with the basic things that he had been taught at an early age.

He figured it was good enough for now, as he walked to the small window that sat just across from the half-closed doorway. There wasn't much to see, other then a few Gaian's walking down the street without even a look at the man that was staring at them from the other side of the glass. The first snow of the season had just started to fall, the white flakes gently moving down from the heavens. He smiled at this, still amazed at how such a beautiful thing could allow itself to be witnessed by someone that didn't even deserve to be alive.

Johnny took in a deep breath, watching the snow drift down upon the ground and melting upon contact. It was all he could do to keep tears from being released from his already tear-torn eyes, eyes that now were filled with sorrow rather then happiness that he once had. He watched as a young boy, perhaps no older the age of seven, walk from the curb and tilt his head up tot he sky and stick out his tongue, snow flakes dropping upon it. His father came up behind him, smiling and laughing at the sight. Johnny's smile faded, his face becoming placid, as though it gave him a sense of calm to see a father and son enjoy the first bits of snow. Both did not even notice that they were being watched as they went on their way to wherever they had to go, hand in hand and smile lighting up their faces.

"Gino," He muttered, resting his head upon the window. He couldn't help but think of how many times the first bits of snow he had missed with his own son, too many to count and too few enjoyed to be remembered. In fact, he couldn't remember any days filled with snow that he and Gino enjoyed together as father and son, a reminder of the life he had no time for. A life that he wished was standing next to him now, tugging at his shirt to come sledding with him. If only he knew where this life was, then maybe he wouldn't feel so guilty about leaving it out in the cold.

"You should be asleep, Johnny, not staring out of the window at the first signs of snow," A voice said from the doorway. Johnny turned around slowly to see Vanessa standing there, holding a tray of food from breakfast upon it and a half-hearted smile on her lips. It was as though she was intending on waking him from a short nap, rather then finding him still awake.

"I didn't hear you come in," He said with a wearily smile. That was the truth; if she had not spoken, then he would have never have known she was there. "Sleep hasn't come easy in the last few weeks."

"I suppose it hasn't with having to find different places to sleep every night and wondering if you'll still be able to wake when morning comes," She said, walking to the bed and setting the tray down upon it. Wiping her hands on a towel that laid by the plate, she turned to face him with an odd look upon her face. "I don't see how you could have done it so many times in the last month."

"I've done it countless times in the past, years and years ago, before I acquired my wealth. It is all about how you can find places to stay hidden in and how to make yourself comfortable with as little as possible." He frowned at a passing thought then shook his head. "It seems only fitting that I went out as I came in."

"Yes, but that was when you were younger. You can't be staying out in the cold, regardless," Vanessa said with an almost worried expression upon her face. If he hadn't caught that look in her eyes, the look that told him she wasn't very worried about him catching a cold from being out in the freezing weather, then he would have though that worry was real. "It is getting freezing out there, especially during the night. There are places in Durem you can go to. Places that have beds and warm meals. Places that can offer more help then I, Edmund, or anyone else could."

"No, thanks. I'm not at that point yet," He said as he turned back to the window. Despite the coldness that the glass panes held, the sun still had warmth in it that he missed so many times before. He wanted to smile at the sun that was trying to smile just as well, but he couldn't muster the strength to lift his lips into something he didn't feel was worth the effort. "It doesn't matter anymore, if it is freezing or not. Wherever I go, it is always freezing. It doesn't matter if I am inside a home or sitting outside by a fire. There isn't any warmth in anything anymore." He sighed, watching more people walk down the street towards the shopping district of the city. "There were some nights that I just did not want to wake up to find myself out in the open where everyone could see me vulnerable. I've run out of places to hide, Vanessa, and I can't keep running anymore. I have to face the population some day."

"Yes, you do. You owe the population an explanation at best, if not an apology," Vanessa said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Maybe then some of them will at least forgive you a bit."

"I am surprised I haven't been killed yet, with so many people watching me and waiting for the opportune moment to do it. So many has gone by, it's a wonder I'm still alive." Johnny chuckled, even though it was forced. Closing his eyes, he bowed his head and leaned his forehead against the window. "Maybe they'll do that soon. I've had enough with living. I've lost everything, even before Halloween. Maybe it's time I just stopped existing."

"Listen to yourself. You are thinking of giving up when you haven't even started looking for your son." She walked quickly to the window and pointed out of it, hoping that he would see this gesture. "He is still out there somewhere, just waiting for you to find him. If you give up now, he'll be lost forever."

Johnny's eyes snapped open, his head raising up as he turned quickly away from the window and faced Vanessa. It didn't take her very long to take several steps back when she saw the look on his face, the crazed look she had never seen before. It was as though something had finally snapped inside of him and he was about to do something he would regret later. Instead, he stood there with lips in a tight line, staring down at her as if he had gained several feet in height and was towering over her.

"And when I find him, his body could to the touch and his face frozen in solid fear? Then what? What am I supposed to do then? Keep on living?" His whole body changed after he spoke those words; everything about him seemed to just disappear. His face sagged, his eyes looking lost and confused, his body shrinking as though a bucket of water had been thrown upon him. It was like he had been deflated, as though he was a balloon and had put a pin into his side. He wrapped his arms around himself, everything about him looking worn and ragged. Not even the power that once radiated from him seemed to emit not even a small spark. "I can't go through it if I have to see him dead. I just can't. I lost someone I loved to death, and I don't know if I could deal with it again. How could I?"

"He is not dead, Johnny," Vanessa said with a soft voice as she gently reached out and put her hands upon his shoulders. "He is out there somewhere, alive and waiting for you to find him. If you give up now, there is no telling what the cruel world would do to him."

"It would have been nothing short of what I did to him. I pushed him to his limits, yelled at him when he didn't do something right the first time, raged at how he was a disgrace to the family. I....I...." Johnny whispered, shuddering. He shrugged off Vanessa's hands, walking around her and sitting down at the head of the bed. "I regret a lot of things in my life, but nothing more then what I did to my own flesh and blood. If she had stayed alive, even for a week more, then things would have been different."

"Would they? Would you have treated Gino any differently?" She asked, walking next to him. Moving the tray to the side, she sat down next to him, waiting for his response. All he did was shake his head slightly, his eyes moving down to the ground. He couldn't look at her, even to admit that there would have been no change in the things that he said to his son or the things he did.

"Perhaps not. It would have only prolonged her suffering," He said with a painful smile. "I remember sitting at her bed side at the hospital several days after Gino was born, holding her hand, telling her everything was going to be alright. She asked how our son was doing, and I told her he was getting stronger by the hour." He stopped there for a moment, holding onto the bed tighter before going on. "She knew that she wasn't going to live to see him grow up and that's why she made me promise to keep him safe and to love him as I had loved her. Then she passed, with me still holding her hand and sobbing like a child. I watched her die, Vanessa. Watched her die without the intent of keeping her promise."

Vanessa didn't know if she had been the first person to hear him talk about his late wife or the day that she died, yet she knew he had never spoken about it with her before or to anyone that she knew. What she did know was that he fell into a deep silence, staring down at the carpet with a fixed stare. There was nothing to indicate that he would have noticed if she had left at his point, regardless if she wanted to or not. She stayed sitting rather then leave, watching him trying to keep his emotions hidden away from her prying eyes. Maybe that was his intent, to see if she would leave after he had spoken about something that had cut him deep.

Johnny blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall, certain that, this time, he would fall into a blubbering, useless state. He didn't need to breakdown in front of anyone, even if there were people would were no more willing to tell a soul then he was to show his true emotions from the rest of Gaia. That was his intentions, to keep himself locked up in the dark so that no one else could see the pain that he still felt. It was hard enough to have to face the world in a period of disgrace, but to show his true self to everyone in Gaia would just be reliving everything over again. He didn't want that and wasn't about to start now.

"How did you fail her?" Vanessa asked a few minutes later when it appeared as though Johnny was not going to be saying anything else. Her voice was calm and seemingly understanding, trying to make him more comfortable with talking about things of his past. "You gave him a roof over his head, a bed to sleep in, food in his stomach, and clothes to stay warm. You kept him safe and full, not totally happy but at least he had a place to go home to. A father that at least cared enough to give him the simple pleasures in life. You didn't fail her or Gino entirely, but managed to keep an old promise at it's basic forms. That, Johnny Gambino, would have made everything worth it."

"In the beginning, perhaps, it was worth it. Now it just seems.....I don't know anymore. I don't know anything." His tone was becoming more distressed, more volatile as Vanessa stood up, an unsatisfied look upon her face.

"I won't stay here if you are going to continue with beating yourself up over things that you should have done differently," She said coldly. "I can finally see the guilt in your eyes, the guilt I knew all along was there but I had to see it for myself. Maybe that is how I know you'll eventually change, for better or for worse."

She only gave him a nod as a goodbye, stalking out of the room without even a look behind her. Johnny didn't even bother look up, his gaze still fixed on a certain point on the carpet as if there was something there that he had a great interest in. In reality, it was to keep him from allowing himself to fall apart, to keep his mind focused on something rather then to think back to things that he wished he just could forget. Those things weren't happy memories, nor were they things that he would wish on anyone.

In the end, it wasn't worth holding back the tears.

**Until Next Time**


	8. Epilogue: Where's Gino?

A Story For The Ages

**Part One:** _The Party Is Over_

**Written By:** _Armina Qi Saxton_

**Standard Disclaimer:** _See Prologue_

Epilogue: _Where's Gino?_

She looked out into the ocean that surrounded the island, her arms wrapped around her as she stared out into the blue water as a small fire crackled nearby. It was late into the night, she knew, but sleep was not about to come to her just yet. Not even the cold air could keep her inside, not when there were other things on her mind that were keeping her up at this late hour. Only the lapping of the water calmed her to a point where she wouldn't go insane with fear and worry, two feelings that she had never once experienced at the same time nor at the degree in which she was feeling them now.

Sasha turned her head up towards the cloudless sky, her tear-stained cheeks red and swollen from crying. It was nights like this, no matter what time of the year it was, that she loved to just stand at the water's edge and look up at the stars that were shining down upon Gaia that night. Instead of feeling like she could reach up and take one of the stars into the palm of her hand, it was as though the sky was father away from her then it should be. Something inside of her wanted to scream at the world around her, but she felt like she couldn't scream any longer.

Her lungs would not permit her to give any loud screams and her throat was sore from talking so much in the last few days. Her eyes were red and bloodshot, as though she had not slept in days and had been going by caffeine alone. Few knew why she looked so terrible, when she hid behind a mask of perkiness. Only Moira seemed to know the fully story and, under a horrible pain of death, was willing to tell no one. Perhaps his hidden love was why she was standing out upon the beach near the charred remains of the Gambino Mansion, staring up at the stars.

Sasha felt something warm come over her shoulders and she jumped at the touch of something cold brushing against her arms. She looked over her shoulder to see Leon standing behind her, fully clothed in his armor, as he wrapped a blanket over her shoulders. Smiling an unspoken thank you to him, she took the edges in her hands and pulled them closer to her body. He stepped back and to her side, turning his attention to the ocean in front of him.

"What are you doing out here so late at night? Dawn will be coming shortly, and I doubt there will be few others who won't voice other concerns of you being out here by yourself," He said with a quick glance over towards her. He had seen the red eyes and knew who she was thinking of; if there was anything that he could say to her, then he had already said it.

"Couldn't sleep. The ocean air helps sometimes, to calm me," Sasha said with a frown. "I could ask the same thing of you."

"I've got the late night, early morning watch of the port and island. I've got a valid reason for being out here in the cold weather and more then enough on to keep me warm. You, on the other hand, don't in either case."

"I was just thinking about someone, that's all. Someone I haven't seen in a while and very worried about," She said, turning her eyes back towards the sea. If Leon read her expression correctly at the moment, he would have seen more then a hint of worry upon her face.

"Let me guess: Gino?" He asked, not even taking the time to think about his question, although he should have already known the answer to it without asking. She nodded briskly, pulling the blanket over her even more tightly. There was something else that he knew, but did not dare to voice his questions in case he was wrong.

"Where is he, Leon? You headed up the search for him right after the Olympics, didn't you?" Her voice was pleading, as though she was trying to get away with something she knew she couldn't otherwise. Leon's face changed to the same rock-solid expression that he had given Edmund the day of the memorial over two months ago, his eyes turning downwards. "Leon, answer me. Please."

"I can't tell you much, if I don't know myself. Yes, I searched for him the day after the Olympics, as well as a few others. Gambino himself ordered it, but only if Gino didn't show up at the mansion's doorstep in a week or two. Some of us weren't about to just sit down and wait for the boy to come back on hands and knees, like his father expected him to. I don't think that man cared if his son ever came back, if the search was just a ploy to keep everyone guessing where he was." Leon raised his eyes up, yet kept them confined to the water ahead of them as best as he could. He found that he couldn't keep his eyes straight upon the water as he normally was able to do in situations like this; instead, he turned towards Sasha and kept his eyes away from her as best as he could. "I have a feeling that Gino did return home, but everyone else was in the dark about it. There are things that even I don't know about the Gambinos, same as everyone else, and Johnny keeps a lot of things secret. Better then I ever could."

"You don't believe he went back, do you?" Sasha whispered quietly. Leon shook his head on this, shifting his weight slightly. He was nervous, of course, about giving news to people, even if it was good news. It always affected him in ways that he didn't expect anyone to understand.

"I honestly don't know if he did nor not, Sasha," He answered as truthfully as he could. "Hell, I wouldn't blame Gino if he didn't want to go back home, with the things I've heard that went on in that household. There are, however, people in this land that care for him deeply."

"Yes, there are people who do care for him," Sasha said, a soft smile coming upon her lips. Leon gave her a sideways glanced, the subtle look that came into her eyes and the way she was smiling confirmed his earlier suspicion. He smiled at the thought, wishing he could do the same. That quickly faded when she turned quickly towards him, a fire replacing that short-lived look of love. "But where is he? Why haven't you found him yet? He isn't dead, is he?"

"That's the problem, Sasha. No one knows. Not even the Council does and they have long since abandoned the search for him." The pained looked upon her face, from what he could see in the dying fire's light, brought his own haunted feelings to the surface. It was the look that he had failed someone that he could not take as he attempted to push back these same feelings. He was glad it was still dark enough for Sasha not to really see the expression on his face. "I...I can't keep looking for him. There is only so many places I can look and so much time I can devote to finding him. I'm sorry, Sasha."

"I know there is so much you can do. I was hoping that there was something new you could have told me," She said, wiping the few tears that she had left from her eyes with the edge of the blanket. "And, no, you didn't fail anyone, Leon. It is as though Gino doesn't want to be found. I hope that is what it is."

"To me, failure is not an option," He said automatically and he regretted saying it not even a moment later. Sasha's right hand found itself upon what little face he had exposed from out underneath his helmet, her palm connecting swiftly across her right cheek. It took him by surprise as he staggered back, putting a hand to the place where Sasha had slapped him.

"Leon, don't you EVER let me hear you say that again!" She shouted at him before she gasped out loud and put the same hand she had slapped him with to her mouth. A horrified expression came upon her face, all color draining from her feature. "Oh, Leon. I'm sorry. I....I....it was just that...."

"I think you've been spending too much time around Ruby. You've picked up a bad habit of hers, I believe," He said, rubbing his cheek on last time before lowering his arm. He tried to smile it off but couldn't, upon seeing her horrified expression. "Look, you better get back home and get some sleep. Good night.....er, rather, good morning."

Leon turned around and started to walk back up towards the main road that wove itself around the Marketplace and towards the port, still shocked at the fact that he had been slapped. Sasha still stood there, looking after him, not moving nor saying a word to the retreating figure. She stood like that for a few moments more, still in shock of the action that she had taken. It was the emotions she was feeling, about not knowing where Gino was, and upon hearing Leon all but blame himself for not finding him that he had made her do such a thing. She looked out upon the ocean, her hand moving away from her mouth as she pulled the blanket back around her.

"Gino, where are you?"

****

This was a place on the other side of Barton, past a small river and towards the east. One could say it was a junkyard for things that ere long since forgotten, if it wasn't already declared a town by the Gaian Council of past. Few Gaians ever traveled this far east to a place that not even the shopkeepers seemed to have remembered. They only went the distance if they needed something for their homes or just salvage a few pieces here and there. It wasn't crowded like Durem, nor as small as the island, but it was just enough for those that lived there and that was just fine by them.

Nothing ever happened in this place, not counting the few times, late at night, when it seemed like everything was lit up by a new robot being built or was out of control. It was quiet for the most part, even on the days where there were more then just a handful of people there, looking for more then one odd item. It was quiet enough, they supposed, then what their sister city was like. Even so, they wished something would happen that would bring life to their normally peaceful existence, without having to travel the distance to the next town over or to anywhere else.

Nothing ever happened in this place, until that very moment. It was the early hours of the day, a time when most people were still in bed and trying to get the last few moments of sleep until their alarm woke them up. It was not a time for late-risers to be up and about, nor was it a time when one would think something would happen just as quickly. Not even half of Durem was awake and it seemed like the city never slept during the day or night hours. However, even those in Durem would have been shocked at the figure that stumbled into the cluttered space that was called Aekea.

The stranger looked no older then the age of nine, but was at least sixteen years by Gaian standards. He wore what some would considered an outdated costume of elegance, that looked like it had been dragged through the pits of hell and back again. Dirt, mud, and blood covered most of his clothing, his feet dragging his worn body through the first through paces into Aekea until he fell upon his knees, one hand holding himself up while the other clutched the same arm that held him up. His young face was smeared with dirt that looked like it had been on there for a while, his hair matted and tangled with mud. His clothing was torn and frayed, each article of clothing looking as though it hadn't been washed in months or possibly years.

If one were to look closely at his eyes, those deep purple eyes that were as blank as the morning sky, they would have seen nothing there. Not a trace of memory of where he was, how he managed to get there, nor was there any sign that he would remember why he was in the state he was in. He couldn't even remember how he survived the months that he last had been seen, not even if he tried. He couldn't tell anyone his own name, no matter how many times he was told who he was and where he had come from. He didn't know and didn't expect anyone else to, either.

The last thing he saw before he blacked out was something shiny and metal coming towards him.

**End Part One**


End file.
